As Per Usual, Robert Snodgrass is the Forgotten Man
By Aaron Deanes
As the West Ham squad prepares to resume the campaign many are confident in Premier League survival due to the return of several big names to the substitute bench, while Robert Snodgrass has become an afterthought.
Fortunately, for the Glaswegian, he has a track record of proving the club and supporters wrong and should play a big role down the home stretch.
The health of Andriy Yarmolenko and Jack Wilshere have become popular talking points within the West Ham world but it’s apparent that after countless injuries and extended stretches away from the game they aren’t the players that should be relied upon at this important juncture in the season.
At different points in time, both Manuel Lanzini and Felipe Anderson have been the focal point of the West Ham attack, but neither has been able to replicate those types of performances during the 19/20 campaign, which is part of the reason the Irons are mired in a relegation scrap at all.
All four players have cultivated big name reputations due to their technical abilities, representing their international squads and moments of brilliance, but none of them can stake a claim to having an extended run of good form over the previous 16 months.
On the other hand, Robert Snodgrass has been an ever-present for West Ham this season, appearing in 24 of 29 Premier League fixtures. While he has his limitations, the Scot possesses the underrated technical ability and has been involved in more goals than any other West Ham player this campaign (5 goals, 5 assists) due to his ability on the ball and expertise at set-pieces.
David Moyes will have a selection dilemma against Wolves. dark. Next
More than that, Snodgrass has emerged as a leader on the team for both his hard-working displays on the pitch, as well as his charisma on the training ground and on match day. Relegation battles are often described as “dog fights” and McMessi possesses both the skill and character to be one of the first subs off the bench for David Moyes, who knows he will receive a total commitment from his fellow Glaswegian.
The Covid-19 break has ensured that Yarmolenko, Wilshere, Lanzini and Anderson will all get an opportunity to make an impact on the 2019/20 campaign for West Ham, but it wouldn’t be wise to disregard the impact that Rob Snodgrass will have on the remaining nine fixtures. McMessi has been the forgotten man at the club before and will relish the opportunity to be a key factor in staying up this season!