Slav pride in flying Ant
VERSATILE MICHAIL’S KEY TO BILIC CAUSE
WEST HAM boss Slaven Bilic hopes Michail Antonio is the man who can save their season.
The versatile former Nottingham Forest star, 26, has been a rare bright light during a campaign that has been littered with defeats and negative headlines.
Bilic’s side have lost five of their first nine Premier League games and Wednesday’s EFL Cup clash with Chelsea saw the latest in a string of problems in the stands at their new London Stadium home.
Antonio has netted five times this season while playing in a variety of positions – the latest being up front during the midweek win.
While Andy Carroll, Andre Ayew and Diafra Sakho have been injured and others have fired blanks, Bilic (right) has been grateful for the contribution of the Wandsworth-born ace.
And after victories against Crystal Palace and Sunderland left the Hammers chasing a third Premier League win in a row against Everton this afternoon, the former Toffees defender said: “He’s a real find.
“Michail is one of the main reasons we have scored most of our goals. He has made very few tactical mistakes and has been spot on.
“Even as a winger at Forest he looked like a midfield winger, he is more like a winger-cum-striker. Basically he is a striker who was playing on the wing.
“That’s why it was logical to think about him as a striker on Wednesday.
“We have a few strikers out and others who need time so that’s why we put him there.
“We don’t want to move him round the pitch too much but at the end of the day we are going to put him in a position where the team needs him.
“And if he loves playing in that position it’s a bonus.
“He was also good up front in the game against Middlesbrough, now he has done TONY STENSON it against top defenders like David Luiz and Gary Cahill.” Antonio is an ex-Tooting & Mitcham United player and has been called up to the last three England squads, including the one chosen by former boss Sam Allardyce. His recent form has softened the impact of Bilic again not being able to select Carroll. The Croatian admits he does have worries over the former Liverpool and Newcastle star’s fitness, with the player breaking down at regular intervals. And he refuses to rule out the prospect he might one day be paid per game. Bilic said: “I love Andy Carroll. Last year, every time that he played, whether he started or came on from the bench, he was brilliant. “I know he has got a history but maybe it is my mistake. When you want someone you are always hoping, you are always looking at the positive things. “He’s gonna be all right. I am hoping he is going to be back in a few weeks. “Is there a possibility of a pay-as-you-play deal in the future? That is a question for the board, not me. All I can say is that we miss him. We are without Andy, we are without Sakho. “It’s a big blow for us but some good news is that Sakho is back in training and after the Everton game he will be training with the first-team squad. “His injury happened in Romania and it’s now four weeks, he’s had an injection that should help.” A win at Goodison Park today would also help as Bilic and West Ham aim to continue their rebuilding work on a season that started so poorly.