This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
There is an indication that West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini is beginning to lose faith in Felipe Anderson.
On the chalkboard
The Brazilian has come under scrutiny this season, with Danny Mills telling Football Insider: “There’s a lot of talent [at West Ham], like Anderson, a lot of talented players in that side and they’re underperforming.”
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While Anderson does have three assists this campaign, the fact he is still yet to get his first goal is a negative sign for the Brazilian’s productivity.
He has averaged 2.3 dribbles per game, but this indicates that he is not really doing anything of note with that technical ability, as is supported by the fact that he hasn’t got a goal contribution in any of the Hammers’ last six games.
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Losing faith
The match against Tottenham Hotspur further backed up the view that he doesn’t do enough to get into dangerous positions, as he didn’t manage a single shot or key pass.
There was also the indication that Pellegrini is losing faith in the 26-year-old’s ability to impact a match, as the manager opted to take him off at half time.
This turned out to be the correct decision, as his replacement, Michail Antonio, went on to score and put in one of the only positive performances in claret and blue on the day.
However, this does not help Anderson’s situation, with the Newcastle United loss being the only game in the last five in which Anderson completed the 90 minutes.
Adding to that, the Brazilian, who earns £85k-per-week according to Spotrac, has been taken off before the hour mark in three of those games, while the Spurs match was the second time this season he has been substituted at half time this campaign.
One concerning sign about this is that Anderson’s struggles don’t seem to be a consequence of a lack of effort, as he made two tackles against Spurs, while he averages 2.4 per game this season.
Regardless of the reasons for his decline, Pellegrini needs players he can trust due to the pressure he is under, as indicated by links between West Ham and other managers, including David Moyes.
It is beginning to seem as though he doesn’t view Anderson as one of the players he can rely on to turn things around.
In other news, Anderson’s fellow attacker was criticised for his performance against Spurs.
