Crysencio Summerville may have spared West Ham’s blushes with a cracking cameo appearance and of course another goal to take the game away from the hosts, but another West Ham player who perhaps didn’t rate as highly in the headlines produced a pretty solid performance at the opposite end of the pitch.
Stand in captain Konstantinos Mavropanos has undergone something of a turn around since Christmas. No more rushes of blood, no more silly errors, ninety minutes of focus, snd unlike the fragile Max Kilman, Mavropanos looks increasingly the genuine article – a Premier League- level defender.
Claret and Hugh ( ok, me actually) has been pretty critical of the Hammers’ defender in the past, as his rushes of blood and lapses of concentration have cost the side dearly: So it is only fair to credit him and highlight the pretty solid turnaround that he’s completed.
Perhaps he’s been boosted by a couple of appearances alongside Disasi and before him Todibo – perhaps he’s just got his head down and worked on his game.
Whatever the cause, the Greek is looking increasingly reliable and solid as a centre back option and was the only player who was selected for all three of West Ham’s games in the last eight days: Maybe that underlines how his manager now rates his value to the team.
Indeed as Kilman has faltered, ‘Mav’ has grown. With the business end of the season approaching, it bodes well for Nuno’s survival surge that West Ham’s big centre back appears to have hit to peak form at the best time for the team.
Yep. What a difference a plan makes. A consistent message from the coaching staff asking for the comfortable and achievable is priceless.
So far this year he has been great. For people to be nitpicking trying to justify their previous anti-Mav rhetoric is no more than confirmation bias on steroids!
Same thoughts the morning after for me. It was a hugely changed team so can’t draw much by way of conclusion from it. I said we’d win 2-0 but revised to 1-0 when I saw the line up. I didn’t think extra time would be needed.
We won, we’re through, with only a red card that I thought was harsh for a real detriment. Any win will do in the FA Cup, another less challenging draw please…
Yes again for me Mav was man of the match. Lost count of the times commentator said crossed in away or cleared by Mav. He also played some great balls out of defence and had a presence in the other penalty area.
Agree, he has improved; but I will reserve my judgement on Mav’ – I am still a long way from being convinced about him.
He played well but I lost count of the number of passes he gave straight to Burton. Luckily they were poor enough to make nothing off it.
His long passes are a feature now. We just need a front line to make the most of it