West Ham United’s squad have worked miracles in recent seasons, having defied the odds and upset the natural order of the Premier League by twice qualifying for Europe and nearly going all the way last year.
However, as was outlined in David Moyes’ desperate attempt to rebuild over the summer, this is an ageing squad. They could not continue at this level forever.
As such, they have started to feel the effects in the form of increasingly poor displays, slumping into a relegation battle.
They boast a number of top-quality players, but they all seem to be both wildly out of sorts and out of form at the worst possible time. Players who had been integral in their prior successes are way past their best, whilst their replacements are seemingly not up to scratch either.
It was therefore likely a much-needed break from that misery to see someone like Vladimir Coufal, who nearly left the club in January, star at the weekend. The transfer window was relatively quiet, with the opening stages dominated by a proposed £6m exit that never came to be.
Travelling to St James’ Park has fast become one of the toughest trips the Premier League can throw up, with a high-flying Newcastle United in imperious form.
So, to see the struggling Hammers hold their own was a welcome sight.
The Czech Republic defender earned his 7.4 rating, in which he silenced the tricky Allan Saint-Maximin by making five tackles, three interceptions and three clearances, as per via Sofascore.
It saw a return to basics for the 30-year-old who has now seen his last four displays rated at 7.0 or higher.
Not only was his defensive work lauded, but his usual tireless attitude that had first endeared him to the fans saw a return – journalist Toby Cudworth picked up on this, as he noted he was “running himself ragged“.
This return to form comes at the perfect time for Moyes, who is in desperate need of his experienced heads to start performing again.
Whilst expecting him to recapture the seven-assist heroics of his debut season is unlikely, at the very least the Scotsman could hope to reignite him defensively and lock down his flank.
Should Coufal continue in this way, it will make the potential fee they could have received for him obsolete. His involvement in avoiding the drop could prove priceless.
from FootballFanCast.com https://ift.tt/ReP2g17
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