Awful West Ham player stood out like a sore thumb during pre-season Celta Vigo clash. West Ham United took on Celta Vigo for our final pre-season friendly game of the summer today.
And one West Ham man in particular stood out as the worst player on the pitch. The Hammers’ pre-season campaign hasn’t been the best in all fairness, but Julen Lopetegui has had to make do without the majority of his best starting XI for the most part over the past month.
The Spaniard has already insisted that his players know full well just how many improvements are needed, with the start of the new Premier League season just around the corner. Just one win from our five pre-season games will certainly be a wake-up call for Lopetegui and his players.
There were some impressive performances out there – mostly from the attacking players. However, there were some concerning displays as well, and one player in particular just wasn’t up to it against the La Liga side.
Awful West Ham player stood out like a sore thumb vs Celta Vigo
It was a good contest against the Spanish side, and was certainly a useful exercise for the boys, when it came to getting minutes in their legs.
That said, it’s still a shame that the players weren’t able to muster up a victory. Unfortunately for one man in particular, his performance today would have given Lopetegui an extremely easy decision to make. Vladimir Coufal stood out as the worst player on the pitch today for me, by a country mile.
The 31-year-old’s lack of pace really was a big concern, and the Celta Vigo attackers got in behind him far too easily. His concentration levels just weren’t good enough this afternoon either, and in truth, he looked like a League One player at best.
Coufal is actually being heavily linked with a move to Besiktas this summer, so he might not be around for too much longer. The 45-capped Czech Republic international defender has already highlighted how much he enjoys playing in Lopetegui’s system.
However, those comments don’t necessarily ring true. In my opinion, he’s not suited to the aggressive, high-press playing style because he lacks any kind of pace. Don’t get me wrong, Coufal has been a very good player for the Hammers, and he always gives his absolute all when he puts on the shirt.
However, it’s clear for everyone to see that he has regressed over the past six months or so. The good news about this whole situation is that Lopetegui obviously knows that Coufal isn’t up to it as well, with a deal for Aaron Wan-Bissaka close to being made official.
Coufal’s display for West Ham during our pre-season clash with Celta Vigo today was really, really poor. And as harsh as it might sound, I think it could be the last time we see him in a hammers shirt.
