The tale of woe that unfolded last season with [West Ham’s](https://www.claretandhugh.info/throwaway-striker-remark-very-big-news-for-west-ham-fans/) attacking personnel is not one that Hammers fans will forget any time soon. Having to use winger Jarrod Bowen as an emergency number nine owing to ‘having nobody else’ at the club was a mixture of bad luck and dreadful judgement. So as the club scour the transfer market for new recruits on a zero budget, there is a new dilemma opening up for Potter and Sullivan to contemplate.
It’s that old Michail Antonio debate again. The [superman-lik](http://whufc.com)e recovery continued last night with anther, longer ten minute-plus stoppage-time appearance in Jamaica’s 2-1 CONCACAF victory against Guadeloupe. The third in Jamaica’s series of games concludes on Wednesday, 25th June against Panama.
If Antonio continues to grow in his game time, and gets a longer period on the pitch next week, West Ham’s dilemma will be very clear: To stick or twist on a new contract offer before Antonio becomes a free agent on 1st July.
As a fourth striker, perhaps, for a season: The temptation must be to find a consensus with the Hammers’ current (until next month) number nine. Unless the Irons are **very sure** that two replacements for both Ings and Antonio are incoming in the coming couple of months, maybe the Jamaican represents a ‘worst case’ striker on a budget option. Even at nearly 36 years old, he’s probably good for a half hour a week. In an emergency.