OPINION
West Ham United defender Angelo Ogbonna has enjoyed a career resurgence in recent months having come into the team for injured centre back Fabian Balbuena.
However, he took a backwards step in his team’s 2-0 defeat to Cardiff City on Saturday. The Italy international was way off the pace in the Welsh capital, producing a disasterclass of a performance in a terrible Hammers display.
He was completely out of position for Cardiff’s opener, while he was nowhere to be seen throughout the second half. This showing was a genuine surprise given how impressive he has been in recent times.
The 30-year-old is capable of much better than this and so it was desperately disappointing to see him regress before our eyes at the Cardiff City Stadium.
He wasn’t the only one, of course, because no one impressed in a claret and blue shirt on Saturday. However, given how much progress he has made this season his was the most frustrating performance of all.
The former Juventus man must now be seriously sweating over his first team spot, with his off colour display coinciding with the return to fitness of the aforementioned Balbuena.
After Saturday it would now be considered a major shock if the Paraguayan doesn’t start ahead of the Italian next time out.
Ogbonna had a big chance to continue to stake his claim for a first team spot on Saturday and in that he very much shot himself in the foot.