West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has defended Marko Arnautovic after the Austrian came in for heavy criticism for his performance against Brighton on Friday night.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville laid into the winger after his laboured display versus the Seagulls, criticising his poor movement and work rate during the 3-0 defeat.
The 28 year old has failed to hit the ground running since his £20m move from Stoke City in the summer, with no goals or assists in his first six league matches for the Hammers. During his pre-match press conference yesterday, Bilic tried to explain why Arnautovic has not been performing to his expected level:
“I spoke to him [Arnautovic] already and he wants, he tries, it just at the moment – not only for him – we are all in the same boat and we all have to do better. Marko is a great talent, has proved it before, he wanted to come here. It has been disrupted with the red card, then the flu, international break but I am very positive and sure that sooner or later he will be really important.”
The squad’s general lack of confidence is certainly something that is contributing to Arnautovic’s performances. Mitigating factors like illness and suspension may also play a role in stopping momentum, but it must be said that despite starting the majority of matches, he has failed to deliver the quality fans were expecting.
