Football.London journalist Sam Inkersole has predicted that West Ham midfielder Robert Snodgrass will “struggle” for minutes this season, but has commended his effort levels.
The 31-year-old has one Premier League start to his name this term, as well as two substitute appearances, but Inkersole is of the opinion that his chances could become limited as the campaign progresses.
Writing in a piece for Football.London, he said: “The Scotsman will struggle for regular minutes this season but you still know what you’re getting from him – 110% commitment.”
OPINION
Sadly for Snodgrass, you fear this is true. To his credit, he has always done a shift for the Hammers when required, but with the likes of Felipe Anderson, Manuel Lanzini, Pablo Fornals, and Andriy Yarmolenko ahead of him in the pecking order, it is difficult to see where regular game time is going to come from. His start to the season has been industrious, if a little uninspired. 0.7 key passes and 1.3 successful dribbles per game is hardly earth-shattering, while 0.7 tackles per match illustrates a player who doesn’t offer a great deal defensively, as per Whoscored. Even Snodgrass’ pass completion rate of 74.5% is underwhelming, and when you consider the level of quality he is surrounded by, it’s not difficult to see why Inkersole doubts his chances of staying in the side for any sustained period of time.