The West Ham midfielder showed his class at Chelsea.
For whatever reason, West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce decided not to start Alex Song at Chelsea on Boxing Day.
The Hammers boss has been responsible for his side’s success so far this season – so his judgement must be respected.
Whether Song was injured, unfit, or Big Sam just wanted to rotate his squad, he missed a good hour of West Ham’s 2-0 loss at Stamford Bridge.
And, after coming on in the second half, he made a mockery of his West Ham team-mates with his attacking instincts.
| Chances Created | Minutes Played | |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandre Song | 3 | 31 |
| Morgan Amalfitano | 1 | 16 |
| Kevin Nolan | 1 | 90 |
Indeed, as Opta stats show, Song created three chances in just half an hour of football at Chelsea. The only other West Ham players to even create a chance were Morgan Amalfitano and Kevin Nolan.
And yet Song managed three – a statistic that shows just how important the Cameroonian is for Allardyce’s side.
Yes, West Ham wanted to defend and were more attacking when the midfielder came on, as Chelsea were already two up. But, had Allardyce started the 27-year-old, West Ham may have been a lot more creative from the off…
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