‘You’ve got be more of a fighter, and that’s NOT him’: West Ham’s Michail Antonio brutally criticises £30m team-mate Gianluca Scamacca… and isn’t too complimentary on David Moyes’ direct style of play either
- West Ham striker Michail Antonio has hit out at team-mate Gianluca Scamacca
- Italian has struggled for form and fitness in his first season with the Hammers
- And Antonio insists the £30m summer signing is struggling as he is ‘not a fighter’
Michail Antonio has delivered a brutally honest criticism of West Ham team-mate Gianluca Scamacca.
The £30million striker Scamacca, along with Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta, were the headline signings of the club’s summer transfer window in 2022.
But he endured a tough debut season, scoring just three Premier League goals in 16 games and struggling for consistent form and fitness.
And speaking on the Filthy Fellas podcast, fellow forward Antonio questioned his suitability for manager David Moyes’ style of play – seeming to suggest Scamacca will find it hard to succeed under the Scot.
He said: ‘I’m going to be honest with you lot. He’s actually quality. He is a quality player.
Michail Antonio has delivered a frank criticism of West Ham team-mate Gianluca Scamacca
Speaking on a podcast, the striker (centre) claimed the £30million Italian is ‘not a fighter’
Antonio added Scamacca is ‘quality’ but struggles to fit manager David Moyes’ style of play
Michail Antonio on Gianluca Scamacca:
¿With David Moyes you have to feed off scraps, be a fighter¿ and he¿s not that.
— West Ham Central (@WestHam_Central) May 31, 2023
‘The problem is, he can’t play the way the gaffer (Moyes) plays. He needs a different type of manager to play his type of football.
‘He needs a manager (where) he can play and have other players come off him and stuff like that. You can see, the ball comes into him and it sticks, he’s tidy.
‘But how David Moyes plays is more like if you’re up front, you’re dealing with scraps and you’ve got to be more of a fighter, and that’s not him.’
West Ham signed the 23-year-old after a fine season with Sassuolo in Serie A which saw him score 16 goals in 38 games and break into the Italy national team.
He did find the net five times in nine appearances in the Europa Conference League but has been out with a knee injury since January.
Scamacca’s arrival was meant to offer cover and competition to veteran Antonio, 33, who has only scored five league goals this season.
But given his long-term injury, Moyes signed Danny Ings from West Ham late in the January window, potentially pushing Scamacca further down the pecking order.
Ings has scored just three times in 22 appearances in all competitions for the east London side.
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