OPINION
There’s no doubt that there was one West Ham United player who stood out in the team’s 1-1 draw with newly-promoted Sheffield United last time out.
Considering it was a clash played at the London Stadium, it was a slightly disappointing result. However, there was one man who came into the team and put on a real show.
Midfielder Robert Snodgrass was tremendous, scoring the Hammers’ goal and delivering a reminder of his quality. He certainly caught the eye of former West Ham manager Harry Redknapp, that’s for sure.
“Midfield star Robert Snodgrass was very influential last week in a man of the match performance which also saw him net the hosts sole goal and another repeat performance should ensure three points this time around,” he wrote on the Bet Victor website.
The Scotland international hasn’t been a consistent presence in the Irons’ team this time round, but he was given an opportunity by manager Manuel Pellegrini and he showed out against the Blades.
So Redknapp is right to expect big things from the 32-year-old against Newcastle United on Saturday, and it would be unthinkable for Pellegrini to send him back to the substitute’s bench this weekend.
The statistics from the Sheffield United game tell us how terrific Snodgrass was last time out. As per WhoScored.com, Snodgrass had two shots, produced two key passes and one successful dribble against Chris Wilder’s side.
He also knocked 17 crosses into the box and completed 33 passes with a pass success rate of 87.9%. He was about as good as he could’ve been, and it was a surprise to see Pellegrini bring him off after 85 minutes.
Still, Redknapp is excited to see him play once again on Saturday, and the West Ham fans should be as well.