Pedro Obiang: Average Player, Top Professional
If the last few years at West Ham have been marred with transfer sagas, one that won’t be looked back on with distaste is Obiang’s move back to Italy. In fact, he’s someone to admire for his attitude.
If you’re to mention the name Payet or Arnautovic to a West Ham fan, you’re likely to be met with furrowed brows and an unkind word summing up their feelings towards the players. When players kick up a fuss about leaving a club someone loves, how can you expect them to react any differently really. So I think it’s only right that we reward someone who acts properly.
In the real world of contracts and living paycheck to paycheck the idea that you are loyal to the company paying your bills isn’t that crazy. But when football is involved somehow all normalcy goes out the window. Money lights up players minds and drives them, but for Obiang he understands his privileged position and just wants to do that in the best place for him possible.
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Everyone knows that Obiang has been wanting to leave for the past 18 months. After moving to London it seems that he realised he preferred life in Italy, and he would be getting more game time there as well. So he politely requested that the club be open to offers for him from Italian clubs. And then went about playing football for the club. Even when he’s received criticism he’s been a consistent worker, but he’s maybe not reached the level we wanted.
So when it was announced by ExWhuEmployee that he was going to be heading back to Italy I wasn’t surprised, and I was less surprised to see it wasn’t plastered everywhere. Whilst Arnie was supposedly not in control of what his brother was saying, I’d bet all my money that if it was Obiang and his brother started going to the papers, it would have been silenced. Actually, if he’s related to Obiang then the brother wouldn’t have gone to the papers. I bet the whole family is nice and respectful.
So whilst I’m a little concerned about our squad depth heading into the league season, I wish Obiang all the best at Sassuolo. I hope his move back to Italy gives him what he’s after and that he taught youngsters in the West Ham squad to respect the contract and continue to work hard. And how can you not love the man who removed Payet from the group chat?