Robert Snodgrass’ West Ham season has been nothing short of astonishing given where he was at the beginning of the campaign.
It’s been said many times before but from Hammers outcast to key midfielder who has made 38 appearances for the first team is a total tribute to the man.
In any other season it might even have been enough to put him among the Hammer of the Year front runners but this time round Lukasz Fabianski and Declan Rice clearly lead thepack.
Sadly Snoddy is currently caught up in. a row with the FA over the use of words he chose to adopt when confronted by FA doping officials making a routine visit to Rush Green.
That certainly hasn’t affected his form as he continues to fight his case but he is deeply disappointed at some of the verdicts that have gone against the team generally this season and has become an advocate of VAR when it arrives next season.
After those two controversial penalties at Old Trafford and an onside goal being declared off from Lucas Perez on Saturday it’s apparent that this can only help everybody’s cause.
He told www.whufc.com: “This is probably why VAR is coming in because you see the Champions League where they get the decisions spot-on. It’s just opinions; some people say it’s good, some people say it’s bad, if it goes against you or if it doesn’t. It’s football. Sometimes you get it and a few weeks in a row it’s cost us.
“We’re disappointed but you can clearly see the work-rate is a heck of a lot better than it was during the run we were on.
“The manager was saying there are ways of getting beat and, as a team, I thought we were top-notch, especially in the first half and for large spells of the Man United game and the second half of the Chelsea game.
“That’s the standard we should be setting. You need to earn results. I keep speaking about it, that you need to earn the right to play in the Premier League and play at this top level and we’ve done that in stages, but sometimes the game is cruel and this was it.”
Snoddy has been so good this season, on & off the pitch. He has had a great attitude even with what Sully & Brady said & Bilic issues. He is a proper professional & his set piece deliveries have been incredible. I like him in mid 3 a lot & he has rea filled in has that extra midfielder weve needed. Tho still need a proper box to box CM.
He has proved he critics wrong & his £30k fine & maybe Ban if appeal is not accepted is really harsh.
Firmino just tossed his snot at another player, see boots in face with no action & the whole ‘diving’ enforcement last season got Lanzini & Niasse who were actually contacted while last season & this many aren’t even touched. VAR will still have plenty of controversy but hopefully it will at least get offsides right! Tho don’t like the new hand ball rule if it bounces of someone’s arm & then knock it in won’t count. With that & slightest push soon just have to wear straight jackets to not use arms.
It’s rapidly turning into a no contact sport. Refs must understand that not every tackle is a foul and not every foul is a booking. They are far too quick to book players early in the game to “stamp their authority”. They then have to keep up this standard they have set, so, mid game you have 2 or 3 players from each side walking on egg shells, terrified to challenge for the ball. Managers are forced to change their team for fear of a red card.Players cannot play their natural game which is what they are picked for in the first place. Obviously nobody wants to see players injured but you cannot take tackles out of the game. Tackling is a major part of it. Because of the referees stance players now use this to their advantage, falling down at the slightest contact, rolling around in apparent agony until the tackler is booked then magically recovering. IT’s supposed to be a contact sport. A certain amount of rough and tumble is to be expected and if it is driven from the game, the game will be the loser.