Now West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini must keep Marko Arnautovic onside until summer

Staying put: Marko Arnautovic
REUTERS
Ken Dyer29 January 2019

Manuel Pellegrini has handled the Marko Arnautovic saga well until now but the way he manages the striker’s return to the side will be crucial for West Ham as they chase a top-seven finish.

Arnautovic is set to be back in the team at Wolves tonight having spent much of the month pushing for a transfer to China.

Most of his team-mates are thought to have understood why Arnautovic might be attracted by £300,000-a-week wages but it still looks a delicate situation.

Asked if there were any issues between Arnautovic and the rest of the squad, Pellegrini said yesterday: “There are a lot of things that managers must manage inside the team.” It was a reply that implied some players may not be happy with Arnautovic’s behaviour.

Pellegrini also suggested the speculation around Arnautovic hindered West Ham before their FA Cup exit at AFC Wimbledon. Pellegrini himself has clearly been unhappy about the situation but he is aware that Arnautovic could be key for West Ham between now and the end of the season.

The Hammers struggled without the Austrian in their last two matches, against Bournemouth and Wimbledon, highlighting his importance to the team.

West Ham have told Arnautovic he can leave in the summer and he is expected to be sold then. His

team-mates know it too, but until then West Ham need the

29-year-old at his best as they challenge the likes of Watford, Wolves, Leicester and Everton to finish seventh.

For now, Pellegrini is happy to draw a line under the whole saga after Arnautovic signed a contract extension that runs until 2023. The deal is understood to contain performance-related incentives.

Pellegrini has also challenged the Austrian to become a more consistent player. “We hope there is more to come because he must perform as he did in the second half of last season when he was involved in every game and was scoring goals,” said Pellegrini.

AFP/Getty Images

“He is a player who has a lot of quality and now he must be consistent.

“A player cannot be eight out of 10 every game, he must be seven, eight, six, but not two.

“Marko has already demonstrated what he can do. He did it in the second part of the last season, he made an important difference. I hope that from now until the end of the season he will do it again.

“He has a special personality, as do the 25 players that you have to manage in every team. The duty of a manager is to know how you can reach to the personality of those players to get their best performance. I have a good relationship with him.”

“Maybe he has a special mind that does not allow him to be 100 per cent concentrated during the game — but every other player has his own problems.”

The Hammers are looking to respond at Wolves tonight after their FA Cup defeat. Pellegrini said: “We always talk for five minutes, whether we have won or lost. After that, the most important thing is to turn the page and focus on the next game.”

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