West Ham news: Pundit issues ‘massive’ Michail Antonio claim – ‘There’s going to be questions’
West Ham striker Michail Antonio could go on a “massive” goalscoring run if he can end his recent barren spell, according to Noel Whelan.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, claimed the 31-year-old is enduring the same situation as Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin – who is yet to score since returning from injury last month.
Antonio failed to hit the target with any of his three shots during West Ham’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle on Saturday (19 February) as his goalless run stretched to seven games.
The newly-minted Jamaica international has scored just two league goals since the end of October – after netting five in five at the start of the Premier League season.
Whelan insisted West Ham needed to add another “natural goalscorer” during the January window.
“Antonio just needs that goal under his belt,” he told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury.
“It’s just the same as Calvert-Lewin, he hasn’t looked the same player since his injury.
“Once you get a goal, you can go on a massive run of three or four games where you score consistently – we saw that from Antonio at the start of the season.
“This is the highs and lows of being a striker, unfortunately. When you’re not scoring, there’s going to be plenty of questions and negativity – but when you are, you’re the best player in the world.
“You’re always looked at under a magnifying glass as a striker, it’s just like being a goalkeeper.
“We could be asking about why Tomas Soucek isn’t scoring as many goals this season, but we’re not – because Antonio is their one and only striker.
“What they needed was another natural goalscorer in the window. That search has gone on for far too long – since Seb Haller left last January, and they’ve just been priced out of deals.
In other news, pundit digs at three West Ham stars who are not pulling their weight.