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Thompson tears Arnautovic to shreds

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Sky Sports pundit Phil Thompson has predicted that West Ham’s London Stadium will be “toxic” if Marko Arnautovic continues to play in the final games of the season.

The Hammers star was heavily linked with a move to China over the January transfer window, eventually putting speculation to bed by signing a new contract extension and remaining in east London.

Having suffered a poor run of form in the Irons’ first team, Thompson believes he has too much sway in the dressing room and that he is a toxic figure right now, which could spread to the stadium.

He told Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday (06/04, 13:46): “Going back to January, before it all sort of kicked off about the China thing, Mark Noble came out and said ‘Me and Marko…’

“You can see he’s a big player in the dressing room, he’s got a big voice Marko Arnautovic, I think that would be toxic in there. That is manager speak. I’ve got to come out and protect the player because they’ve still got six games to go, two home games, which could be really toxic if this guy plays.

“I thought he was absolutely, outrageously bad against Everton.”

Opinion

Tell us how you really feel Phil! The Sky pundit has ripped the Austrian to shreds with his verdict – but it is quite difficult to argue against what he is saying. Arnautovic is without a doubt one of the most influential figures at the club – that comes with being the best striker when in form – but that can have both a positive and negative impact. Will him playing really create a negative atmosphere at the club on their home match days? Well, you can imagine the fans would either support him through his tough spell or jeer him for his shocking performances and it seems as though Thompson is predicting the latter – a safe bet when you consider how the forward reacted to being substituted last time out. His days at the London Stadium look numbered, but can he end his time in east London on a high? Only time will tell.

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