Marko Arnautović is currently a West Ham player. Not that you'd know it. As I write the teams for tonight's capitulation to Salford United have been announced. He's not even on the bench. He has some kind of sick bug apparently. Yeah, right.
Since his abortive move to China in the last transfer window he's barely featured for us, scored no goals, sulked a lot and generally been out of sorts. His form has mirrored that of the team to an extent, only occasionally turning up, putting in minimal effort, and getting very mediocre results for such a talented squad. Were it not for the excellent form of our player-of-the-season goalkeeper, Łukasz Fabiański we would be facing a decidedly tense end to the season.
As it is, we will finish in the middle of the table somewhere, in an underwhelming finish that splutters over the line. Last year Marko was without doubt superb, smashing in the goals, leading the line and harrying opposing defences mercilessly. The club was offered £35 million to sell him in January, and he was reportedly keen to go for a huge uplift in salary. My neighbour at the taxpayer-funded London Stadium tells me that there is a rumour Marko has a gambling debts problem and desperately needed the cash that the move would bring him.
But we didn't sell him, and he apparently signed an unspecified contract extension. Therein lies the dilemma. A great player when he can be bothered, when he's fired up and motivated, and you might say that a good manager could get the best of him. A lot of fans want him to stay, our attack looks pretty toothless without him, and strikers of his ability are hard to come by. Perhaps he can be re-energised over the Summer and persuaded to stay.
But I'd say that at that level, his motivation has to come from within, he needs to want it. China may have given him the cash, but I doubt he would have given of his best. No, he needs a move.
For a move to be successful, he's got to know what is in it for him, respect and admire his manager, and really be up for the challenge. The club and fans may be sorry to see him go, but they will be well-rid of him in the Summer, for go he will. This form is part of a pattern, and we should have spotted it when we bought him, for he does this kind of thing a lot.
I just hope he can find a challenge that motivates him, and he finds some kind of inner peace. Preferably in another country, otherwise the next time we see him will be bearing down on our goal and smashing the ball into the top corner after leaving the defence for dead.
As ever then, self-awareness, that's the key to it all. Unfortunately Arnie has very little of that. I do however know a good Coach/Counsellor, now that would be a worthwhile challenge...
