West Ham United striker Michail Antonio has come out all guns blazing in response to criticism from Roy Keane.

Michail Antonio has actually been in decent form for West Ham over the past month or so, after admitting that he had been poor during the first five or six months of the campaign.

The 34-year-old Hammers hitman has received criticism from all corners this season, and not just for his performances on the pitch.

Gabby Agbonlahor lamented the Jamaica international’s constant podcast appearances last year, and then Roy Keane did the same this week.

Keane ripped into footballers who speak on podcasts after losing games, without actually mentioning Antonio’s name, when speaking on the Stick To Football podcast:

“I think that [podcasts] can be a distraction for a player, particularly if you’re on the back of a defeat, and you’re in the next day and everyone is having a bit of a laugh. I don’t think you should laugh for a week or two if you’ve been beaten.”

And now Micky has fired back at the former Manchester United man…

Michail Antonio responds to Roy Keane criticism

Antonio has clearly taken offence after Keane’s comments, despite the Irishman not directly attributing them to the Hammers forward.

Antonio explained on the Footballer’s Football podcast:

“It’s dinosaur mentality because when he [Keane] was playing, every manager, every fan, everybody, constantly said, ‘Focus on your football. Go to sleep with a football in your arms – the only thing you’re allowed to think about is football. Your wife deals with your kids, don’t play with your kids – football.’ That’s what it was when he was playing. Obviously in time players who played with him went bankrupt because all they did think about was football and that’s all it was.”

Antonio went on to say…

“That’s why a lot of players struggle with mental health problems because people are telling them they’re meant to struggle for two whole weeks because they got battered on the weekend. No, you deal with it. You are sad when you leave and for that night. I drove home Sunday with no music, just thinking about the game. I couldn’t think straight – I could only think about the game. I was embarrassed.”

I have to say, I agree with Keane here.

Antonio will have plenty of time to focus on podcasts and other things when he retires from playing.

He has got into the habit of saying things that put him and his teammates under more pressure as well, notably the way that he mocked Tottenham striker Richarlison, and when he tipped us to finish above Liverpool in the table this season…just before we played them at Anfield.

There was nothing wrong with what Roy Keane said about Michail Antonio and the footballers who partake in podcasts midway through the season as far as I’m concerned.

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