If Michail Antonio wants to save his career at West Ham and in the Premier League, someone will have to take the microphone away from him.
West Ham striker Michail Antonio has served his club well.
Antonio has played in every possible position for the Kladivarians.
He scored many important goals and made history as West Ham’s current top scorer in the Premier League.
The Jamaican was undoubtedly one of West Ham’s best signings in the modern era, coming from Notts Forest for just £7.5 million in 2015.
However, he will turn 34 in a few weeks’ time and now appears to be in the twilight of his career at West Ham.
Watch how we destroy the Mic:
Many fans believe Antonio should have been replaced with a top striker years ago.
But the player has always insisted he still has plenty left in the tank. He has even admitted publicly that he came close to joining Premier League rivals Everton and Wolves in previous windows.
Antonio, who wants a career in the media, has made more podcasts and TV appearances for West Ham in the last few years than he has scored goals.
Although we all like honest players who don’t repeat the same incomprehensible, robotic clichés week in, week out, sometimes you really can’t help yourself.
Now West Ham star Antonio has made a startling confession that will surely get him sold.
Antonio needs to choose his words more carefully:
After a terrible performance in his first game back from injury against Forest, Antonio was on the bench in the win over Brentford.
In the second half he came on as a substitute on the left wing. But some fans were critical of his lack of workrate, even though he was “fresh-faced”. This almost cost West Ham a goal in one of the Bees’ attacks when Antonio stopped running and let his player get into the box.
Speaking to the latest Footballer’s Football podcast, Antonio admitted that he is now struggling to come on as a substitute and make an impact or get up and down the wing as he has been a striker for the last few years.
After less than 20 minutes of play he was coughing so hard.
He says that David Moyes was shouting at him from the touchline.
“I had fits of cough”
“Of course I didn’t start, but I contributed”, Antonio said.
“Left wing and that! Like bloody hell.
“I’ve said it many times on the podium, that getting into the game is a myth. I mean, one run and after that I was done. Listen, cue me, cue me, I’m blowing now. I caught up with Lucas (Paquet) in five minutes (after 75 minutes). Take me off, mate, my God! Especially in this game, when it’s end-to-end and they’re just going for each other’s head.
“Running with the ball is probably one of the hardest things because it takes your energy, quick time.
“(Moyes was shouting at me): ‘Drive, drive, drive – keep going, you give way, you give way’. At the end of the game, yes, I had coughing fits, my lungs weren’t ready!”
We like Michy as a character and many of his words are light-hearted.
But with the striker likely to be looking for a new club in the summer, it might not be the wisest admission.
And even if he stays with the Kladivari until the trial year, he will hardly convince anyone that he is worth keeping as an impact passer. Especially if the manager leaves in the summer.
To tell the truth, Antonio has been absent for three months. That is why he needs to get back to full fitness.
But West Ham may now realise that the time has come to say goodbye to a great servant and look to younger and more prepared players for the future.