OPINION
West Ham defender Pablo Zabaleta was one of the club’s standout performers in the 2017/18 campaign but after the arrival of Ryan Fredericks it’s clear that the veteran is going to need to adjust.
The 33-year-old wore his heart on his sleeve as he constantly delivered admirable performances in the 39 games he featured in.
There would have been few supporters who would have begrudged the defender winning Hammer of the Year as he even switched position as the season went on to cover the side’s lack of depth.
This saw him briefly play in a few games as a central midfielder and while his lack of pace was at times exposed, he wasn’t half bad considering he’s a right-back.
However with Fredericks set to rock up at the London Stadium it’s clear the pacey 25-year-old will become the club’s regular right-back and this will only change if he fails to replicate his Fulham form.
This is an unlikely scenario as the speed merchant learnt a lot from his time at Craven Cottage and looks ready to be a Premier League regular.
Pellegrini is clearly going to go with the more attacking option of Fredericks especially as Zabaleta is 33-years-old and his contract is set to expire in 2019.
The new Hammers boss has constantly been hinting that he is building with the future in mind so the veteran’s presence and deal winding down won’t make it easy for him to feature.
But after working together at Manchester City and being aware of Zabaleta’s tremendous character, there’s no way Pellegrini will completely close the door on him featuring.
The 33-year-old just needs to find a way to adjust, show some of that versatility from last season, in order to kick open the door and keep his Hammers career alive.
It’s very possible that Zabaleta has in him to win a new deal, based on his displays last season, he just needs to find a new regular role in the first-team.
However with the boss due to give everyone a clean slate, past performances from last season and even from when he worked with Zabaleta at Manchester City won’t be taken into account.
Therefore one of the Hammers’ standout performers from their most recent campaign has to adjust or become a victim of Pellegrini new era at the club sooner rather than later.
