Are there signs of complacency creeping into West Ham United star Manuel Lanzini’s game after loan move was made permanent in the summer.
West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini celebrates
Lanzini was one of the surprise success stories of the Hammers‘ and indeed the Premier League campaign last season, taking to life in the English top flight like a duck to water.
Nicknamed the Jewel back in his native Argentina, Lanzini’s success is perhaps only surprising given where he had been playing his football in recent years.
After starting his career at River Plate, where he was the latest diminutive Argentine to be labelled ‘the new Lionel Messi’, Lanzini had spent a couple of seasons playing in the footballing backwater that is the UAE Arabian Gulf League for Al Jazira.
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic was quite open and honest when he signed Lanzini and admitted that while he had been tracking him for two years as manager of Besiktas, he had taken something of a gamble on the 23-year-old.
Six goals and many more assists quickly prompted West Ham to turn his loan move into a permanent one for around £8million this summer.
West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini was in Dimitri Payet’s shadow last season
Dimitri Payet may have deservedly taken most of the plaudits last season but any Hammers fan worth their salt will tell you Lanzini was just as impressive.
The diminutive Argentine caught the eye right from his debut in a pre-season friendly defeat to Wolfsburg.
Lanzini was West Ham’s catalyst last season
And it wasn’t just his dazzling skills and pace. It was as much to do with his tracking back, interceptions and harrying of defenders which acted as West Ham’s first line of defence and helped Bilic’s side become one of the most feared counter attacking sides in the Premier League.
Who can forget that historic 3-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield where he not only scored but made another by chasing a lost cause right in the corner and robbing Dejan Lovren to set up another.
Against Manchester City he had the most interceptions and tackles on the pitch and did not give away a single free-kick.
This season, though, West Ham have looked a shadow of the team in which Lanzini played such a pivotal role.
Adrian, Lanzini, Payet and Tore look dejected
Infighting amongst fans, resentment towards owners and concerns over safety have soured West Ham United‘s season so far.
Bilic‘s side have lost three of their opening four Premier League matches and scraped past Bournemouth in their solitary victory.
The Hammers were also embarrassingly dumped out of the Europa League by Romanian minnows Astra Giurgiu for the second season running.
Fans are at each other’s throats over standing at their new 60,000 seater Olympic Stadium home while Karren Brady – who spearheaded the club’s move to Stratford – was allegedly spat at by her own supporters as things turned sour in a 4-2 home defeat to Watford last time out.
But what will cause West Ham supporters alarm as much as anything is the signs of complacency creeping into Lanzini’s game in the match against Watford.
None of the Hammers players covered themselves in glory against the Hornets.
But it was a performance so out of character for Lanzini in particular.
Watford’s Valon Behrami bossed Lanzini
Weak on the ball in some circumstances, lacking that burst of acceleration which makes him such a threat and most worryingly a distinct lack of effort off the ball and in the tackle.
In fact his performance was so poor some fans jeered when Mark Noble was substituted instead of him.
In fairness it was Lanzini’s first start of the season after an injury picked up while playing for Argentina in a warm-up game before the Rio Olympics.
We often see with players, particularly loans with the option to buy, they will be brilliant and then suffer from second season syndrome the next season as soon as they’ve signed on the dotted line.
Who can forget Herita Ilunga? The man who coined a phrase to describe the one-season wonder at West Ham.
The Premier League is littered with them too with the likes of Spaniard Michu probably one of the most notable in recent seasons.
Lanzini must remember all the things that made him such a Hammers hero last season and get back to doing them if he is to continue his upward curve.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
