Michail Antonio vows to change approach after revealing what brutal West Ham boss David Moyes screamed at him during the first AZ Alkmaar clash.
West Ham were given a huge boost in the build-up to Thursday night’s crunch European semi-final second leg with the return to training of Michail Antonio.
West Ham face one of the biggest games in the club’s modern history in Holland.
The Hammers take on AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final.
The tie is delicately poised at 2-1 to West Ham after David Moyes’ side came from behind to gain a narrow lead at the London Stadium last Thursday night.
Ex Hammers star Cole likened ref’s style to ‘prison rules’
That lead was given to them by striker Antonio – who admitted after the match he did not have the best of matches.
Ahead of the first leg, Hammers News warned West Ham about young referee Halil Umut Meler.
The Hammers were furious with the way the Turkish official handles the game as countless fouls – many on Antonio – went ignored.
After the game ex West Ham star Joe Cole used an extreme example to describe what he saw in West Ham win over AZ Alkmaar.
Cole compared the referee’s approach to being like ‘prison rules’ where anything goes.
UEFA have appointed a lenient Slovakian referee for the second leg. So West Ham should steel themselves for more of the same.
Michail Antonio vows to change approach after what brutal West Ham boss David Moyes screamed at him during AZ Alkmaar clash
And Antonio has vowed to change his approach after what brutal West Ham boss Moyes screamed at him during the first AZ Alkmaar clash.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Footballer’s Football Podcast with Callum Wilson, Antonio was goaded by the Newcastle striker about being “ragged around and dashed about by the centre-backs all game” against AZ in the first leg.
Antonio admitted that was the case and revealed he had been feeling sorry for himself.
That was until his own manager blasted him from the touchline and told the muscle-bound star to toughen up.
The words struck a chord with Antonio, who has vowed not to let it happen again in the second leg.
“It was the truth. I was getting rag-dolled, it was embarrassing,” Antonio said on the BBC Sounds platform podcast.
“Okay, no problem”
“I was getting rag-dolled all over the pitch, I am going to be honest. But, 90 per cent of them were fouls and the referee was giving me nothing, so if the referee is going to give me nothing there is nothing I can do.
“I was getting rag-dolled about, everyone was moaning at me, the gaffer was saying ‘you’ve got to do better’. I’m like ‘mate, the man has run into my back with two hands, there’s nothing I can actually do’.
“But he was like ‘No, you’ve got to deal with it. He ain’t giving you nothing so you’ve got to deal with it’. Okay, no problem (I will in the second leg).
“It got to the stage where I was getting frustrated, I started sitting on the floor like a child. I was like, ‘ref, you’ve got to sort me out’. But, obviously, I got my goal. I don’t care. I’m not going to lie, if I did get dragged [off] five minutes earlier I’d have probably deserved it.”
Antonio is expected to start up front for the Hammers in Holland.
Let’s hope the defenders are the ones being rag-dolled around this time.
