Thilo Kehrer has given praise to a teammate as our Hammers gear up for a crucial week in the club’s history.

Kehrer has sung his praises for Antonio after the first leg of the Conference League semi final, but admits there are areas the Hammers need to improve on if they are to make it to the final.

West Ham came away from the tie with a 2-1 win which saw a goal from Antonio seal the comeback against AZ, but many fans walked away feeling a bit disappointed with the performance. Most of the players seemed a bit lethargic after the win against Manchester United. However, there were still some good individual performances and Kehrer definitely did his part at right back. Yet he has singled out Michail Antonio as the one he’s been admiring. 

‘Michail is working like crazy up front at the moment!’ Kehrer told the official site, laughing. ‘He is putting the defenders under stress and every game he is doing a very important job’. The striker has been a bit lacklustre for much of the season, but since the Arsenal game he has been unbelievable, causing untold problems for defenders.

‘We are really happy that we have him,’ the German admitted, adding that ‘Mich is a great teammate. A great personality and positive energy. We all have a lot of jokes and laughs with him. He makes everyone have a good time and he is also a hard worker too.’

Kehrer confessed that ‘it is not going to be an easy game in the second leg and we will have to leave everything out on the pitch next Thursday to get to the final.’ The defender does acknowledge that there are areas that his side can improve on from the first leg, saying that ‘I think we have to have a balance of putting a press on them and being controlled with and without the ball. Maybe we need to be a bit more clinical in the final third and better with the final pass or decision and then we have a good chance,’ but he believes apart from that ‘the game against AZ Alkmaar was a good game’.

Something that’s been echoed by everyone at the club is that the squad has a ‘really strong togetherness’ and that’s translated onto the pitch as of late, with them finally playing as a unit. Considering it’s the business end of the season, it’s great to see that the Hammers ‘have hit form for the big games,’ according to the right back, ‘we have a great team and a great belief in the way we work and the way we play.’  

It’s hard to believe that we are just ninety minutes away from the club’s first European final in 43 years. It’s going to be an extremely tough and nervy second leg but with a one goal advantage, it’s in West Ham’s hands whether this season goes down in history or whether it’s one to, mostly, forget. Thursday can’t come soon enough. Come on you Irons!

Written by Charlie Bass