da jogodeouro： This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
da gbg bet： The performance of Robert Snodgrass gave West Ham a much-needed boost on Saturday and he could be a solution for Manuel Pellegrini moving forward.
On the chalkboard
There has been much discussion over the reasons behind the Hammers’ lack of goals this term, with fans criticising Felipe Anderson and Manuel Lanzini after recent performances, with neither creating many chances of late.
In the last match when both started – away at Everton – neither managed a key pass, which explains the team’s failure to score.
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However, Declan Rice believes the problem lies not in creating opportunities, but in being clinical and, according to the expected goals table, per Understat, West Ham should have scored 14.57 league goals, which supports the England international’s claim.
Either way, Snodgrass’ recall to the side against Sheffield United made the difference, as he put away a chance against the Blades which was similar to one Lanzini missed against Crystal Palace, and a repeat of that display could lead him to starting more often.
Change of role
The former Scotland international isn’t getting any younger at 32 and he has had his fair share of injury issues throughout his career. That has impacted his physical ability and as a result he may not be well-suited to playing on the wing anymore.
He achieved an average of 1.8 successful crosses last year, but playing in a central role he could be given the freedom to drift out wide and take up threatening positions, allowing him to provide service for Sebastien Haller.
Snodgrass also showed his intelligence and used his experience well to read play on Saturday, which subsequently allowed him to take up scoring positions – and he almost won the game late on but instead his effort came back off the post.
By contrast, Lanzini has no goals so far, and only one expected goal, which shows he is failing to take up the positions necessary to punish teams. If that continues he may find himself playing second fiddle to Snodgrass.
Rice described Snodgrass as having a “blinder” against Sheffield United, suggesting he was a “top pro” who has earned game time through his effort, and if he can be productive on a regular basis then he could be very useful for his manager.
His inclusion should also motivate Lanzini and send a warning sign regarding his form, prompting an improvement from the Argentine in the process.
Pellegrini now has a selection headache following Saturday’s game, but that’s exactly what he’ll want as he bids to take the Hammers to another level.