Green Street Hammers
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Robert Snodgrass continues to show quality for West Ham

By Scott Johnson

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 01: Javier Hernandez of West Ham United is congratulated by team mate Robert Snodgrass after scoring the opening goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and West Ham United at St. James Park on December 1, 2018 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 01: Javier Hernandez of West Ham United is congratulated by team mate Robert Snodgrass after scoring the opening goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and West Ham United at St. James Park on December 1, 2018 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) /
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West Ham have many players who have shone so far this season. But for me it is Snodgrass that must be feeling the most satisfaction over his role.

Everyone loves a redemption story. When Snodgrass joined West Ham he was tying to fill the shoes of a cult hero in Dimitri Payet. Bilic played him out on the left and asked him to replicate the Frenchman’s creativity. You don’t have to be a genius to realise that that wasn’t going to produce results.

So at the end of the season he was shipped off to Aston Villa on a season long loan. Here he thrived and showed his quality, albeit in the Championship. When Pellegrini joined the club many expected the Scotsman to leave East London, probably to join a Championship club. But what he has done is show that the Premier League is where he belongs. And it’s where he wants to be.

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When Yarmolenko picked up a serious injury, it looked as though Diangana was in the right place at the right time to take over his position. At the weekend though, Snodgrass showed that the right sided inverted winger is the position he thrives in. With a strike partnership in the form of Arnautovic and Chicharito ahead of him he was able to pull strings, and whilst he isn’t as dynamic as Anderson on the other side, an maybe his left foot isn’t quite as magical as Yarmolenko’s, he really does work hard and for the team.

His assist for Chicharito’s goal must have felt great. This man has worked hard despite comments from the owners about his quality and dropping a league for a season. He puts in a shift wherever Pellegrini wants him to play and even when others take the dead ball taking duties off his hands. Even if he puts in the best dead ball deliveries, bar none.

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I hope we see more and more of him, even though I accept it will be in a utility role. I don’t expect to see him keep younger and potentially more explosive players out for long, but I am very happy to see his revival. He is a great personality and a shining example of professionalism and letting your football do the talking. In the age of social media, that’s a lesson many youngsters could learn.