West Ham have hardly not been in a precarious situation this season. The sacking of Manuel Pellegrini brought David Moyes back. While the new manager bounce did exist, but that lasted only for a limited time. The club is now tottering around the drop zone once again, but one player hasn’t let anyone down. That is the experienced Robert Snodgrass. Everyone who needs sports betting explained can see what the Scot brings to the team.
When the season had started off, no one saw the Scotsman as a regular on the right or the left-wing. They had much more renowned names in Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko play on a regular basis over the last year. They were seen as the reliable creators and goalscorers. Go and open your online betting account and see how often the Hammers are tipped to be over 2.5 goals in their matches.
Sebastien Haller also arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt. Everyone thought that the Hammers were heading to a top-half finish- like they’re expected to every season. But like every season, the wheels came off from the very first game.
The lack of ability to link up the attack led to Pellegrini’s attack. The club was making defensive mistakes in every game and Moyes brought the promise of rectifying that.
As things stand, the club hasn’t won a single game over the last six outings. In this barren run, only Snodgrass has shown signs of fight and passion.
In the last nine games, Snodgrass has scored three goals and has picked up three assists. The club has scored only nine goals during this time and the 32-year-old has had a hand in six of them. It shows what an impact he’s had so far.
Snodgrass has contributed to the highest number of goals in the Premier League for the Hammers- nine. Haller has a tally of seven, with six being goals. Yarmolenko stands at paltry four, with Felipe Anderson at five. And that says a lot about the club and the situation.
Snodgrass has come up with 1.5 key passes per game- the highest in the side. That shows that he’s been the most productive player, in terms of creation and without him, West Ham could easily have been even lower than where they are.
When talking to Sky Sports recently, Paul Merson talked about another part about Snodgrass. He said: “He done alright Snodgrass, he did alright the other day, he gives his all.”
At the age of 32, he still goes about his task like he’s 25. That shows a lot about where West Ham are but it also tells them that Snodgrass is still a very useful player for them. Even when Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson come into form- whenever that happens, Snodgrass will do a job for the side.
His showing against Brighton shows that. The side did slip up after taking a big lead, but Snodgrass got two goals, coming up with two key passes and winning two tackles as well. It wasn’t just about scoring and doing the flashy stuff. The winger also did the dirty work- something that defines him in every game.
With the season reaching a crucial point, Snodgrass will be very important. If he does well, he can keep the club up. If he doesn’t, the club would be left in an even worse situation.