Moyes To Rest Antonio For Villa-Foolish?

Having seen his team perform well, if not spectacularly, in the absence of 'star' forward Michail Antonio, Hammers manager David Moyes is only too aware that the season is not yet a quarter through, and that a long hard winter of congestive fixtures awaits.

Therefore the need to keep Antonio 'for the long term' is dependant on using the big man sparingly, at his age Big Mich's hamstrings 'ain't gonna get better', the result of which means he has to be wrapped up in cotton wool for periods before he bursts back on the scene, only to be injured again, usually his nemesis, his hamstrings.

The 'hammies' will always persist due to Antonio's explosive pace and power, exertions that place an enormous strain on his body, particularly his huge thighs that he uses to help bully and terrify opposition defenders. Moyes understands the demands Antonio's no hold barred style of play inflicts on his body and accepts injuries are part of the parcel and knows that Hammers cannot be a 'one trick pony'.

Moyes pragmatic assessment of the task ahead of him to get "West Ham where they should be" includes clever asset management, the club's under achieving stars will either shape up or ship out under a Moyes regime that has pundits raving, you can contact 22bet Uganda here to check out the odds of achieving European qualification, many firmly believe so early in this topsy turvy season, that the Irons under Moyes' firm hand are genuine top six of the Barclays Premier League contenders.

Having overcome one of the most difficult sequence of starts ever handed to a team in the top flight, West Ham are now at the cross roads, build on some impressive results, or burn up at the hands of opposition fighting for the same place at the 'top table'? This Monday evening's game against 'high flying' Aston Villa is a case in point, both teams are doing better than expected, bearing in mind the other thing they have in common, except playing in Claret and Blue, was a dangerous flirtation with relegation last season, despite both teams having spent an absolute fortune on players!

Villa's hopes of maintaining their momentum have taken a bit of a battering due to Chelsea loanee, Ross Barkley, having picked a dreaded hamstring injury, sounds familiar, doesn't it? Yet another injury sustained as clubs strive to feed their economic masters, the TV broadcasters, who to all intents and purposes, seem hell bent on producing a generation of well paid, gifted cripples! - Ed

RIP Diego Maradona 1960-2020 who can now thank god in person, a great football player despite his demons!