Given that Ryan Fredericks has probably faced the two liveliest wingers in the PL since returning to the Hammers team I’d say the lad’s done pretty well.

Sadio Mane and Wilfried Zaha are extremely significant players and it would be a huge surprise to me were the latter to still be at Selhurst Park next season.

Regardless of that  Fredericks with little match action behind him looked business to me and I’m sure by the end of the season he will of course have improved further.

Let me make it clear to those who haven’t yet realised it, I am a huge Zaba fan and have been since his Man City days. That he was still representing Argentine unto his 30s speaks volumes for the man who has probably been the Hammers best freebie in many moons.

However, sadly he may now be coming to the end of a fabulous career and quite rightly the boss has to let Fredericks show what he’s got.

For me, as a free signing on – as I understand it  at around £45k – a week the arrival of Fredericks was shrewd  business and I personally will be tracking his progress with interest over the remainder of the season.

After the Palace game he told www.whufc.com: “We’re looking more solid at the back and we’ve got quality players who are always going to score goals.

The gaffer has been pressing home in the last few weeks that we need to have a solid base starting at the back, and if we keep clean sheets or concede only one then the majority of the time we’re going to draw or win games.

“It doesn’t get much harder than what I’ve faced this last week. As left wingers come, Mane and then Zaha are two of the best there are is the Premier League.

“I feel like I stood up to the test and got the better of the battle.”