da casino： When Grady Diangana burst onto the scene with a brace in West Ham’s 8-0 win over Macclesfield, he looked like a top young talent in the making. Fair enough, the League Two outfit hardly gave the Hammers a real test but Diangana’s subsequent outings in the Premier League were impressive too, climaxing with a busy and productive display in a 4-2 rout against Burnley.
da betsson： But since his assist versus Sean Dyche’s side at the start of November, Diangana’s progress has gradually waned. Perhaps it was a mistake to hook him off at halftime against Huddersfield the following game, which may have affected the 20-year-old’s confidence, however with that outing included his last seven appearances for the Irons – albeit four as a substitute – haven’t offered much to suggest a long career at the London Stadium.
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Thursday night’s performance against Southampton epitomised that trend. By no means an easy game for a developing prospect due to Saints’ precarious status as a Premier League club, but considering he was up against another young player lacking experience at top flight level in Matt Targett, Diangana should have made a stronger and more direct contribution.
Indeed, the England U20 completed three dribbles but was also dispossessed the same number of times, failed to create a single chance and could only manage one effort at goal. His industry couldn’t be faulted, registering two tackles and remaining a busy presence throughout, but it’s not industry that attacking players are ultimately judged upon. Away from the statistics too, there is one clear weakness in Diangana’s game right now – he’s almost entirely dependent on his left foot.
It’s important not to write off Diangana, which is not the intention of this article. We all know how difficult it is for academy products to break into Premier League teams these days, especially after their club spends just shy of £95million on new players as West Ham did during the summer. Because of that though, opportunities must be taken, and Thursday’s game represents a chance missed for the young winger.
There has been a steady decline in influence since Diangana’s first few outings for the Hammers – but do you believe he has a long-term future in east London? Let us know by voting below…