OPINION
Wolves player Romain Saiss has had a bit of a topsy-turvy season this year, but he has undergone an excellent turnaround that was epitomised by his performance against West Ham on Tuesday.
He contributed towards the goal tally in the 3-0 win over the Hammers in mid week, but it was not so long ago that many fans were bemoaning his inclusion in a clash against Cardiff in December.
Saiss has come a long way since then, and if you had said that he was undroppable before and after that game, many supporters would have laughed in your face, and rightly so.
However, the 28-year-old was simply sublime against the Irons in his role in the defence, a display that has no doubt proved some of the doubters wrong.
The 6ft 2in [Transfermarkt] enforcer stood up well to the tasks he was required to do, and managed – somehow – to keep West Ham’s dangerous attacking line quiet for the majority of the evening.
This can be rather difficult to achieve with the likes of Felipe Anderson and Marko Arnautovic, who are players with undeniable quality – but Saiss matched them toe for toe and managed to keep them at bay.
He should be commended for this in particular, nevertheless, he has shown boss Nuno Espirito Santo why he is crucial to the team’s success.
The manager was no doubt pleased with what he saw of Saiss on Tuesday, and he surely recognises that he is a player who does not warrant the axe any time soon.
The Moroccan also demonstrated that he is good in front of goal too after managing to hold off Robert Snodgrass and nodding straight past goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski for his second goal of the campaign.
It is clear that Saiss turned quite a few heads with this outing – and the fans will now have their fingers crossed that he can maintain it.