OPINION
West Ham United midfielder Pedro Obiang made his first competitive start of the season against League One outfit AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday night in the second round of the Carabao Cup, which resulted in a 3-1 win.
However, it did not go according to plan for Obiang, who had a dire performance before being taken off at half-time for the more attacking Felipe Anderson.
Making his first start of the season undoubtedly meant that the 26-year-old was slow and off the pace, but he appeared sluggish at times and did not make much of a contribution in the first half.
He did not help himself by mouthing off at referee Tim Robinson either, which resulted in a booking for the central enforcer.
Nevertheless, in terms of staking a claim for a first team spot in the Premier League, the Spaniard definitely did not do himself any favours whatsoever.
At the moment, he is near the bottom of the pecking order for a place in the starting line-up, with the likes of Jack Wilshere, Mark Noble and Carlos Sanchez ahead of him in the queue.
Based on this display, none of these players should be worried about whether their place is under threat, as he is not likely to usurp them any time soon.
He has previously been a mainstay in the Hammers’ team since his arrival in 2015, making 67 appearances in the Premier League, with 21 of them coming last season under former boss David Moyes.
This new campaign has been a lot different now there are some new arrivals – and it looks like Obiang will be spending a large chunk of his time on the bench from now on.
Wimbledon are hardly the toughest of opponents, but Obiang – who is on £55,000-per-week [Spotrac] – made them look even better in midfield with his lazy exploits.
If this is all he has to offer the Irons, then he has effectively ruined his first team chances in the league under Manuel Pellegrini.
