Written by : @Samizgould     

Well what a week it’s been for West Ham!

They say that actions speak louder than words, but they also give you a huge indication of the man. Marko Arnautovic’s actions speak louder than any profanity we can use to explain the situation. There’s no doubting we are all relieved to see the back of him after his move to Shanghai. Saddest of all is that there is no part of this that is unexpected. This situation was always going to arrive at some point in the window – it was just a question of when. Marko’s approach has always been about making horrible situations trying to get what he wants and then looking to make a profit from the mess he or his brother have started.

When this tactic worked and the board gave in to try and keep him at the club in January, the brothers knew they had the upper hand. So why not try the same tactic again? Never mind if it’s insulting to the club and the fans, but Marko Arnautovic has always been about what’s right for him and ultimately it will mean across his career he will never find a club to call home. Believe it or not there is quality to be found in his footballing skills but his mentality, poor advice and horrible approach to clubs, means that he will never reach his best. The level of front here is baffling! But he can take that attitude to far away China, hopefully never to be seen again.

This has completely overshadowed what is truly remarkable news – that Robert Snodgrass has earned a new one-year contract. The situations and men couldn’t be more polar opposites. When Snodgrass arrived, he was placed in a truly horrible position – and one not by his making. He was asked to play a position that wasn’t his best and replace a player in Payet (who had gone from new Messiah and key playmaker to Judas for the fans in a matter of 18 months.) This was followed by public remarks from the club that simply weren’t professional or fair in any way.

All this put the fans offside with Snoddy from the start and it can’t be understated how impressive it is for him to turn all this around, changing so many people minds after returning from Aston Villa to a new manager who looks for very different players. Through an impeccable attitude, commitment and work ethic and following the advice given to him by Pellegrini, Snodgrass earned himself an opportunity to prove people wrong. A couple of key injuries to key players saw him  manage to make 33 appearances with 25 starts last season.

Robert’s mental strength to deal with these challenges and just roll up his sleeves, along with his relentless work rate on the field, have helped to make him a key leader in the dressing room. Alongside Noble and Zabaleta, Snodgrass exemplifies the mentality that the manager has been looking to grow throughout the club. At 31, and not the archetypal Pellegrini player, he could have been on the list to potentially leave. But the new contract just highlights how far he’s come and how much he wants to be here at West Ham. His work within the community and supporting Isla and her family just highlight the quality of man he truly is.

Arnie could learn so much from him – but he will never understand what that is. We must move on from the strategy of bringing in unstable mavericks and invest more in the hard-working grafters to dramatically improve our chances of moving us further up the table come the season’s end.