OPINION
This has truly been a season of two halves for West Ham United centre back Issa Diop, and he must now realise that he needs to excel against Chelsea on Monday or face a long stretch in manager Manuel Pellegrini’s dog house.
The 6ft 4in Frenchman [Source: Transfermarkt] enjoyed a phenomenal first half of the season, but since the turn of the year he has been a completely different player.
He has looked nervy, hesitant and, ultimately, completely sub-par at the heart of the Hammers defence. Initially his decline was blamed on Angelo Ogbonna after the Italian replaced the injured Fabian Balbuena at centre back. However, for the last month and a half Ogbonna has actually outplayed the former Toulouse man.
Indeed, such has been the 30-year-old’s resurgence that it is now Diop, not he, who is looking over his shoulder now that Balbuena is back to full fitness.
That is why Diop must regard Monday’s game as his last chance to keep his place in Pellegrini’s first choice eleven. If he doesn’t deliver the goods then he could end up sitting out the team’s final five games of the season.
The Hammers mainstay may have only not featured in two league games for his side this season, but that doesn’t mean he is untouchable.
It’s certainly high time that Balbuena returns to the first team fold, he might do it on Monday, in fact. If Diop drops out at Stamford Bridge then he can have no complaints.
However, if he does play then he needs to realise the gravity of his situation. He has been viewed as undroppable by Pellegrini for too long this term. If he doesn’t produce on Monday then he must be consigned to a long stretch on the substitute’s bench.
