OPINION
It’s probably fair to say that Robert Snodgrass caught a fair few people off guard with how well he started for West Ham this season.
After a loan spell at Aston Villa last season it looked for all the world as if his time with the Hammers was coming to an end, but with Manuel Pellegrini came a new lease of life for the 31-year-old senior player.
The Scottish international subsequently enjoyed something of a purple patch around the start of December, hitting two and assisting three more in a four game spell.
Since then, however, he has gone off the boil a bit, and he has dropped in and out of the side in recent weeks.
After starting against Everton he was benched against Chelsea on Monday night, but did enough to convince Pellegrini he was worth a recall against Manchester United on Saturday evening.
That decision quickly looked questionable when Snodgrass conceded the penalty that gave the Red Devils the lead.
To be fair to the wide man, to was a harsh call, but his clumsiness gave the referee a choice to make, his defensive flaws were just the start.
Going forward, he looked flimsy and uninventive, and you have to wonder how he continues to get the nod ahead of Michail Antonio.
By contrast, Antonio is robust and direct in his running, and offers a much more immediate threat.
The £70,000-a-week winger [Spotrac] is waiting in the wings, and if Pellegrini had any sense, he would play him from now on.
