Andy Gray has laid into West Ham United striker Marko Arnautovic after the 2-0 defeat to Everton on Saturday.
He commented on how Arnautovic suddenly loved the club again after an alleged move to China did not materialise in January, and said that the supporters are not “daft” when it comes to this type of behaviour.
Gray accused the senior player of being petulant after he came off in the second half, saying that he did not have the attitude of someone who was genuinely disappointed about their own personal performance.
“He was allegedly going to China, he was manoeuvring for a move there. Suddenly, was in love with the club again, I don’t think West Ham fans are daft,” he told beIN SPORTS.
“He thinks that is caring, because he is throwing his thing down. That is not caring. There is a difference between coming off and looking really disappointed and upset because you haven’t played well. That is not – that is just being petulant.”
OPINION
It is no surprise in the slightest that Gray has laid into Arnautovic here. His overall display was extremely poor, but his attitude was even worse when he came off in the second half. He wasn’t playing well, so why shouldn’t Manuel Pellegrini have taken him off? He was woeful and did not really contribute anything towards the game. Gray is right – he was petulant in the way that he acted when he came off, and this type of behaviour is just not acceptable from someone of his pedigree and experience. Yes, a player has a right to be gutted if they are taken off earlier than they would like. That is only natural – but acting in the way that he did is not because he cares for the team. It is because he was worried that he would not have the chance to excel himself for the rest of the match.
