Despite what looked an excellent transfer window West Ham fans were furious when the club failed to sign a young, dynamic striker.
Exciting Villa forward Jhon Duran was West Ham’s prime striker target during the summer.
But the West Ham told Villa they would refuse to meet his £40m asking price, as first revealed by Hammers News back in July.
Technical director Tim Steidten switched attentions to veteran 31-year-old forward Niclas Fullkrug instead.
That move has divided opinion among West Ham fans.
Many raised concerns over his age, lack of pace – a key attribute in the Premier League – and injury record.
Fullkrug is yet to start in the league and has now missed the last three Hammers games through injury.
That has seen supporters ask why the club didn’t just push the boat out to land Duran instead.
Especially after the powerful and pacy 20-year-old made it clear, quite publicly with his crossed Hammers gesture, that he wanted to join.
Carragher makes bold claim about West Ham’s Antonio
And particularly as West Ham’s only other striker options are ageing duo Danny Ings and Michail Antonio.
Julen Lopetegui has baffled fans by making Antonio West Ham’s starting striker this season.
Despite a string of poor performances, the Jamaican kept his place.
When he was named up front at Fulham, supporters were angry. And they weren’t alone 20 minutes into the game.
Because Lopetegui was seen berating Antonio for some sloppy and lazy play.
Hauled off at half-time, Antonio has been benched ever since.
He came on in the 3-0 and 5-1 defeats to Liverpool.
At Anfield he did ok and looked more motivated than he has in recent games. Perhaps with something of a point to prove?
Meanwhile Duran continues to shine for Villa, likely killing any hopes West Ham may have had of signing him in the future.
For now then West Ham are stuck with Antonio and Ings while the jury is out on Fullkrug.
But West Ham fans won’t believe a shock Jamie Carragher claim about Antonio.
‘West Ham can’t get better than Antonio’ says Carragher
Speaking on Sky Sports during the defeat at Liverpool, Carragher said he loves Antonio as a player.
He says West Ham fans always want someone better but insists the club will struggle to ever find a striker who brings more to the team than him as a replacement.
So much so Carragher claims Antonio should be West Ham’s starting striker every week.
“I’m a big fan of Antonio,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.
“It’s always a player who maybe West Ham fans think they can get someone better in that centre-forward role. Every season they seem to try and replace him.
“But he always comes back and gets the goals.
“Yea (fans always want the shiny new toy), he’s there every season, comes on, makes a difference, he’s a handful.
“You’ll have to be a very good player to be better than Antonio as a centre-forward I think for West Ham…
“He’d always be in my front three if I was West Ham manager.”
Carragher is very knowledgeable about the game. He knows a lot about players and clubs beyond his Liverpool bubble unlike other pundits.
Carragher’s view on great Hammers servant is outdated
But Antonio’s much-improved cameo was clearly the first time the Sky Sports man has seen the 34-year-old play for a while.
If Antonio played as he did at Anfield on a more regular basis then there would not be an issue.
Carragher’s claim about ‘always getting the goals’ is outdated too.
He scored just eight goals in all competitions for West Ham last season, only seven the season before that and has no goals or assists so far this term.
They say all good things come to an end. And there is no doubting his effectiveness has waned with age.
Antonio could still have a role to play as a squad player.
But the truth is quite the opposite to Carragher’s claim – he should be nowhere near the starting XI if West Ham had gone out and signed a younger forward like Duran.
To say West Ham could not find anyone better than Antonio in the transfer market is absurd.
The Hammers must hope Fullkrug will be that man. Perhaps Carragher had forgotten West Ham had signed the German?
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