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What now for West Ham and Arnautovic?

By Scott Johnson

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 30: Marko Arnautovic of West Ham United during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Everton FC at London Stadium on March 30, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 30: Marko Arnautovic of West Ham United during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Everton FC at London Stadium on March 30, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /
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West Ham thought they would be able to manage Arnautovic until the end of the season. In reality the Austrian’s head has gone, and the club has suffered.

When Marko Arnautovic was denied a big money (for the player) move to China, most people felt West Ham had done it right. They had told the player that he was contracted to them and that’s how it went. If we don’t want to sell then you don’t get to go. Despite the initial fallout it seemed that his head had come back and all was going to be sorted. But that just hasn’t happened.

Despite clearly being the best all round striker in the squad, the Austrian has really struggled to get a foothold in the first eleven, let alone make an impact on the scoresheet. When he has been on the pitch the fight seems to have gone, so what can Pellegrini do?

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In my opinion, and with massive hindsight, it’s fairly obvious the decision we made in January was not good as an isolated case. Arnie has seen a downturn in form and output and the entire side seems to have done the same thing. If we’d let him go in January we might have been able to replace him (for added cost) and keep momentum. And in terms of going forward, the manager doesn’t really have any options until the summer, unless someone is to come in now and guarantee a fee for him. That may brighten his mood.

However if we had let Arnie go, and his replacement had not been top quality or done well we would have been saying that decision was wrong. What this decision does mean is the club has set out its position on being bossed around players under contract. It’s not going to happen. The decision in January may look bad when simply considering the Arnie situation, but moving forward I think it’s a good play.

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If Arnie wants to move in the summer, unless something has already been agreed behind closed doors, he needs to improve on his play. Who is going to pay nearly 30m for a striker who isn’t bothered half the time and strops on the pitch when he isn’t passed the ball? His future is in his hands and I don’t think he realises how much he’s harming his future earnings with his current attitude.