Stan Collymore has admitted he was wrong about West Ham striker Marko Arnautovic as he named him in his team of the week just a day after claiming he ‘sets the worst example possible.’
The outspoken pundit had launched a scathing attack on the Austria international before West Ham’s 3-1 win over Everton on Sunday in a column for the Mirror.
However, just a day later he committed a significant U-turn after singling out the 29-year-old for praise after his goal and assist helped the Hammers to their first Premier League win of the season at Goodison Park.
In his team of the week for the Mirror, he said: I might have said the front man “sets the worst possible example as a player” but he proved me wrong against Everton . He set up Andriy Yarmolenko brilliantly for West Ham’s first goal and then bagged one of his own to give his side their first points of the season.”
OPINION
This is a significant U-turn from Collymore, who really ripped into Arnautovic in his column before the Everton clash. The former Premier League striker claimed that Arnautovic was the player who was now the poster boy for the Hammers, and highlighted that as a massive negative for the club at the moment. The Austria international responded perfectly on Sunday with a virtuoso performance up front for Pellegrini’s side. Arnautovic was at the centre of everything for the Hammers going forward, and played a huge part in the victory. His run and lay-off for Andriy Yarmolenko’s opener was so unselfish, and his link up with Pedro Obiang for his goal was sublime. This was the perfect riposte to Collymore, although it is doubtful Arnautovic knew about the criticism that had been levelled at him anyway. More performances like this will see the Hammers climb the table, and really show Collymore that he can be a leader for the Hammers.