Deprecated: str_replace(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($subject) of type array|string is deprecated in /home/zbyiujsu/public_html/wp-content/plugins/jnews-social-share/class.jnews-initial-counter.php on line 40
Deprecated: str_replace(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($subject) of type array|string is deprecated in /home/zbyiujsu/public_html/wp-content/plugins/jnews-social-share/class.jnews-initial-counter.php on line 40
Deprecated: str_replace(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($subject) of type array|string is deprecated in /home/zbyiujsu/public_html/wp-content/plugins/jnews-social-share/class.jnews-initial-counter.php on line 40
Deprecated: str_replace(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($subject) of type array|string is deprecated in /home/zbyiujsu/public_html/wp-content/plugins/jnews-social-share/class.jnews-initial-counter.php on line 40
West Ham United have been far better in the early stages of the current campaign compared to the 2022/23 Premier League season, with the summer transfer activity breeding sustained success once again.
Last season’s Europa Conference League winners have thus qualified for this term’s Europa League, finishing on an immense high after toiling for much of the domestic campaign and finishing 14th after successive top seven seasons.
Among the new recruits, David Moyes will be particularly delighted with the impact of James Ward-Prowse, whose creativity and composure has been integral in mounting an early push for European qualification.
How good has James Ward-Prowse been for West Ham?
Last season, Ward-Prowse captained Southampton to relegation from the top flight, but make no mistake, the 28-year-old was not culpable for their demise, scoring 11 goals and receiving praise for his “world-class” qualities from former manager Nathan Jones.
This season, the midfielder has already scored twice and provided six assists for the Hammers since joining for £30m in August, very much the “outstanding” component, as he has been hailed by journalist Josh Bunting.
In the Premier League alone, the £115k-per-week machine has recorded an average match rating of 7.69 – as per Sofascore – completing 91% of his passes, making 2.1 key passes, 1.4 tackles and 5.9 ball recoveries per game and winning 59% of his ground duels.
To emphasise his all-encompassing skills, he ranks among the top 7% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals and assists, the top 13% for shot-creating actions, and the top 17% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref.
While Ward-Prowse has probably been the pick of the bunch regarding the new arrivals, there has arguably been an unsung hero proving to be just as important this year, with right-back Vladimir Coufal in one of his richest veins of form since joining the Irons.
How is Vladimir Coufal playing this season?
Coufal joined the fold in east London for just over £5m in 2020, and has since cemented himself as a regular presence on the pitch for Moyes’ side, hailed for his “brilliant” displays by pundit Jamie Carragher.
The 38-cap Czech Republic international is not usually the most striking of full-backs on English shores, but he conducts his business diligently and with confidence, ranking among the top 14% of positional peers for tackles, the top 20% for interceptions, the top 6% for clearances and the top 11% for aerial wins per 90.
Moreover, he works expertly in tandem with Jarrod Bowen down the right flank, offering both stability and supplementing the clinical England international, who has scored five goals from eight Premier League appearances this season.
The 31-year-old has recently unlocked his creative flair, registering an assist across his past four outings in the top flight, with two such passes providing Bowen with a goal.
But furthermore, he has averaged 2.4 tackles and 2,8 clearances per game, as per Sofascore, which highlights the defensive assurance that slots him into West Ham’s system potently.
Having provided just one assist from 27 outings last year, there is clear evidence of a developing understanding down that right side, which is already proving instrumental in the pursuit of a fourth consecutive year on the continental scene.
Defensively solid, offensively improving and praised for his “incredible” start to the season by journalist Jack Elderton, Coufal really is one of the unsung heroes of this thriving Hammers squad, and his work down the right is charging the fine form that has kickstarted the current campaign.
Visit thepinkbrain.co.za for more news