West Ham season review: How did our midfielders rate out of 10 this year?
After finishing 7th and qualifying for the Europa League in the 2015/16 season, plenty was expected from the Hammers this year.
However, it was a disappointing season judging by those high standards.
A poor summer of recruitment held us back from progressing and the move to the London Stadium did not go quite as planned.
Over the course of the season, we have hit some real lows with humiliating defeats, the departure of Dimitri Payet, numerous injuries and the threat of relegation.
Therefore, all things considered, an 11th place finish is not too bad.
West Ham won the final game of the season with a 2-1 win over Burnley at Turf Moor to finish top of the bottom half.
After a poor season littered with problems, finishing one point off eighth isn’t too bad.
Here we will review how our midfielders performed this season, rating them out of 10 based on their displays in claret and blue…
CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE RATINGS
Michail Antonio – 10
It is hard to fault Michail Antonio this year after he scored nine league goals to be our top scorer, won the Hammer of the Year award, earned his first England call-up and signed a new long-term deal.
The strong and speedy winger is a vital cog in West Ham’s team and he will be so important next year.
Sofiane Feghouli – 6
Sofiane Feghouli has had a frustrating year, held back by injuries and lack of game time.
But the Algerian international has showed glimpses of his talent and scored a fine goal against Burnley to perhaps show that he’s ready to kick on next term.
Edimilson Fernandes – 6
When given a chance, Edimilson Fernandes has shown maturity and class beyond his years.
The 21-year-old Switzerland international has played across the midfield in a variety of roles and looks a real bright spark for the future.
Cheikhou Kouyate – 7
Cheikhou Kouyate plays with such passion and has been deployed all across the midfield and defence this season.
The Senegal international is vitally important to West Ham’s success with his box-to-box runs and he had another solid season in the middle.
Manuel Lanzini – 9
Skillful Argentina international Manuel Lanzini is one of West Ham’s star players and won the Players’ Player of the Year award.
The 24-year-old provides goals, assists and excitement with his performances in the attacking midfield regions.
Mark Noble – 6
After such an excellent season last year, Mark Noble has been a bit disappointing this term.
However, the West Ham skipper always puts in 100% and played through a double hernia to ensure his beloved Hammers stayed up.
Havard Nordtveit – 4
Considering the expectations of Havard Nordveit, the Norway international has been underwhelming.
At times, he has shown why he is so highly rated across Europe but we need to see more from him next season (if he stays).
Pedro Obiang – 9
Pedro Obiang had been criminally underused by West Ham until this season, where he made the defensive midfield role his own.
we look much better when Obiang is there, sweeping up in front of defence with crunching tackles and interceptions and providing solid protection for our defence.
Dimitri Payet – 6
Dimitri Payet failed to hit the heights of last season but was still topping our assists chart with ease.
Then, the Frenchman and the 2016 Hammer of the Year betrayed all West Ham fans by refusing to play and forcing a move back to Marseille.
Robert Snodgrass – 3
You have to feel sorry for Robert Snodgrass a bit considering he was brought in as “Payet’s replacement” but he simply hasn’t been good enough.
West Ham shelled big money to land the Scotland international from Hull but his performances have been lacklustre and uninspiring.
Gokhan Tore – 1
West Ham fans were exciting when Gokhan Tore joined on loan from Besiktas last summer.
But the Turkey international looked overweight, slow and behind the pace before suffering a season-ending injury in early October, although he did notch the first assist at the London Stadium when his nice cross was headed in by Antonio.