Fredericks sorts out Grealish for a second time

Ryan Fredericks proved himself a diamond geezer last night as he doubled up with Vladimir Coufal on the pest known widely as Jack Grealish.

And it was a second big victory for our right back after seeing him and Villa off  in the Championship play-off final of 2018.

Asked to take over from Jarrod Bowen the decision proved to be a master strole by the manager but which could onlyu have worked via top level performance from Vladi and Ryan.

There was obviously some needle going om out there but  that’s to be expected when a fiery individual such as Grealish finds himself being pocketed by a couple of very good defenders.

It was a rare outing for the former Fulham defender who has been forced to play second fiddle to the brilliant Coufal but he came in, did a great job and showed how adept the manager is at using his squad.

“It was a bit of a change of position, but I’ve played there many a time, so it was nice to come in and help the boys and it was a good performance all round,” he told West Ham TV.

“Obviously Jack Grealish has created the most chances in the Premier League and he’s a very good player, so I came in to give Vladi a bit of help and we did good job doubling up.

“I think he went a spent a bit of time playing centrally and on the other side because he wasn’t really getting much of the ball, so we did our job.

“I tried to help the team on the other side of the game going forward with a few crosses, so we’re happy.”

He added: “We’ve had a few tussles over the years! I know what it’s like as a winger to have someone following you around and kicking at your heels, as Vladi was doing tonight, but with those sorts of players that’s what you’ve got to do!”

While Fredericks might not have played as much as he had hoped this season, for one reason or another, his last four starts have yielded seven Premier League points, an Emirates FA Cup win, three clean sheets and just one goal conceded, showing David Moyes he can be relied upon whenever he is required.

He admitted: “It’s been a strange old season. I was playing  then pulled my hammy and Vlad has come in and has been brilliant and credit to him, he hasn’t put a foot wrong. I came in against Southampton and done alright, then I got COVID, so it’s been an up and down season!

“But, as a footballer, you always got to be ready to come in and play whenever you can. I’m not going to complain when I’m out of the team, but I want to be in the team and playing football, as every footballer does.”