Jermaine Jenas has argued that Marko Arnautovic lacks the instinctive movement required for him to be a top striker.
The Austrian has been West Ham’s go to frontman ever since David Moyes moved him since from a wide position last season, but the BBC pundit suggested that playing as a forward was the wrong position for him to play in.
Speaking on Match of the Day (BBC One, Saturday April 20th, 10.30pm), he said: “Top player but he doesn’t think like a striker.
“His first thought is never to get in that six yard box, to find those scrappy goals, those tap-ins.
“He’s always drifting towards the edge of the box. You’re not going to score goals there.”
OPINION
Jenas raises a very good point here. Arnautovic is evidently a proper talent, the kind capable of deciding matches singlehandedly, but is he an out and out striker? Probably not. Trends and patterns of play come and go in football, but there will always be a place in the game for good old fashioned poachers, the type who only need one chance to turn a match on its head. Arnie isn’t one of those players. On paper though, West Ham do have one of those players. Javier Hernandez is arguably one of the most dangerous finishers the Premier League has ever seen, and yet he can’t seem to get a look in. Manuel Pellegrini is evidently unsure of the resources at his disposal, and whatever you think of Arnautovic or his talents, you can’t deny that the Hammers are probably going to have to invest this summer if they want to climb the table next term.