OPINION
After making the step up to the West Ham United senior team from the under-23s, everyone was raving about midfielder Grady Diangana.
His ability to fearlessly run at defenders as well as his blistering pace earned him deserved plaudits left, right and centre – but recently, it seems his progress has been heading in the opposite direction.
Against Manchester City, he looked a shadow of his former self and looked like he was off the boil, and that simply is not good enough for a player who has been given such a chance.
Not many young players are capable of making the transition to the senior team, with Declan Rice the only notable player worth mentioning.
Yes, admittedly City were incredibly tough opponents, and some may view it as being unfair, but the young ace must be axed for the clash against Newcastle United this Saturday.
In his place should come Robert Snodgrass, who will be able to provide the fresh pair of legs that the Irons are so desperately craving after their heavy 4-0 defeat.
He is not the most technical of players, but the difference between how he is performing now compared to last season is impressive.
Pellegrini cannot risk starting Diangana when he is not his usual dazzling self – if they end up losing to Newcastle, there is every chance of getting dragged back into a relegation battle.
This is the last thing that the manager would want to happen, so he must be ruthless and axe the speedster for the sake of the team.
That is not to say that Diangana lacks the talent – he just needs to drop to the bench for this game.
