Former West Ham hero Michail Antonio has doubled down on his criticism of Graham Potter, accusing him of letting his insecurities destroy the club’s dressing room culture.
Graham Potter has been seen as a symptom of the problems at West Ham rather than a root cause as fans have turned on the ownership over the club’s regression in the last two years.
But Nuno Espirito Santo has proved that Potter must shoulder much of the blame for the mess the Hammers find themselves in this season.
Potter elected to strip West Ham’s squad of over 28 years of experience when he brutally released Aaron Cresswell, Michail Antonio, Lukasz Fabianski and Vladimir Coufal last summer.
Antonio: Potter shipped out West Ham players with any influence
Now Antonio has claimed Potter’s insecurity destroyed West Ham’s dressing room culture.
Potter was rather embarrassingly forced to go to Fabianski with his tail between his legs in order to bring the Polish shot-stopper back to the London Stadium just a month after releasing him.
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Michail Antonio during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Fulham FC at London Stadium
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
Coufal then slammed Potter for the way he handled his West Ham exit, saying he was told in a 30-second conversation having believed he would be offered a new contract.
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Antonio had previously hinted that he was not happy with how the club handled his exit after a decade of service.
West Ham’s leading Premier League goalscorer Antonio then appeared to take a shot at Potter over the way his departure was handled when he released an emotional farewell after finding a new club in Qatar.
Michail Antonio hugs the Europa Conference League trophy after helping West Ham to their first major silverware in 43 years
Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Now the 35-year-old has left no doubt as to who he blames for being released – that man Potter.
Antonio suggests Potter jeopardised the club’s Premier League future by getting rid of any players who had any influence and experience.
In doing so, Antonio says Potter left West Ham with a complete lack of leadership on and off the pitch.
He even admitted he is frustrated West Ham did not sack Potter sooner – despite his clear failings – as he believes another manager would have kept him on.
Antonio wishes Potter was sacked sooner by West Ham
“I felt like it (being released by West Ham) was mainly pushed by Graham Potter, I feel like he was just trying to get rid of the old regime… he got rid of a lot of the senior players like me, Aaron Cresswell, Vladimir Coufal, Edson Alvarez, players who had more control of the changing rooms,” Antonio told talkSPORT.
“More of the leaders of the group were moved on… I feel like he didn’t want anyone with any influence in the changing room to be there, so anyone he had the opportunity to get rid of, he did…
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A quote showing a quote from Nuno Espirito Santo during a West Ham United press conference that reads: "The accounts of the club is not my job."
Credit: Getty Images/Crystal Pix/MB Media
“That was part of my frustration (that Potter was not sacked sooner).
“He wasn’t doing well anyway at the club, but they had to stick by him and make a big decision on my career and then not long later, he was gone… but it is what it is, it’s football, that’s how it goes, I can’t live in that, I just need to do the right things for me.”
Antonio’s comments on Potter are just the tip of the iceberg.
Graham Potter pushes Jarrod Bowen towards West Ham fans after a rare win at Nottingham Forest
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
It was revealed last week why Jarrod Bowen stopped speaking to Potter at West Ham.
The interim Sweden boss went behind Bowen’s back to ask his senior teammates what they thought of his leadership.
The reason why became clear when Potter was sacked.
Because Athletic reporter Roshane Thomas stated that sources close to the departing Hammers boss had revealed to him that Potter had serious concerns over ‘Bowen’s inability to captain the team’.
It has taken Nuno a long time to start cleaning up the mess Potter left behind.
And despite doing a great job turning the Hammers into a competitive side again, Potter’s shortcomings could yet still cost West Ham their Premier League lives come what May.
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