OPINION
West Ham have been fairly woeful in front of goal in recent weeks.
The Hammers have hit just eight goals in their last nine matches, with just two of those strikes coming from open play.
That statistic is a worrying one for a side pushing for a Europa League spot this season, and Manuel Pellegrini will know that something has to change regarding his faltering frontline.
Perhaps the strangest thing about it all, however, is that he seemingly has the solution to his problems sat right in front of him.
Marko Arnautovic has struggled for game time severely since his Chinese transfer debacle back in January, and given the relative drought that his team are experiencing in the attacking third, fans must have been tearing their car out over his repeated omission.
Pellegrini’s comments on Thursday could, however, herald a change in the Chilean’s outlook.
As quoted by Football.London, when speaking about the Austrian forward, he said: “Marko was out of the team for several reasons. First because his mind was not right when he had the option to go to China, then he returned but didn’t work for one week and needed time to recover.
“After that, he was sick, he was going to play against Manchester City but was ill, so there are lots of reasons why he is on the bench. But I think he is ready to return to his position.”
If Pellegrini means this, and isn’t just spouting empty rhetoric, then Hammers fans will be dancing in the streets.
A pretty poor recent run has left their European hopes hanging by a thread, and it is nonsensical for the manager to keep his most dangerous attacking threat on the bench as their ambitions gradually dwindle.
Hopefully, for the sake of West Ham, and all of their fans, Pellegrini has finally seen sense, and Arnautovic can get back to doing what he does best as soon as possible.