Man Utd donate £10k to Dinamo Zagreb Foundation to help earthquake victims as West Ham workhorses turn fortunes around
WEST HAM had perfected the art of securing ridiculously expensive signings who then proved to be a bit rubbish.
So it is ironic that two players who cost a total of just £24.1million from Slavia Prague — Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal — have helped transform David Moyes’ side on and off the pitch.
Felipe Anderson, a £41m disaster, has been sent to Porto on loan while Seb Haller, a club-record £42m buy, moved to Ajax for £25m earlier this month.
Neither were famed for their work ethic.
Yet midfielder Soucek, who cost £19.1m, and right-back Coufal, a £5m bargain, have played a part in changing the club’s mindset and turning some players into workaholics.
The pair visit West Ham’s training base every day — even if the rest of the squad are at home — to put in extra work.
The toil paid off again Tuesday night for Soucek, who scored twice in the Hammers’ 3-2 win at Crystal Palace.
Coufal is known by his Czech Republic national team-mates as Robocop because he never gives up.
The Czech duo’s incredible attitude has rubbed off on Andriy Yarmolenko, who now skips his days off and joins them at the training ground.
Equally, after Moyes’ sessions, Jarrod Bowen remains on the training pitch to practise free-kicks. Defender Aaron Cresswell spends extra time fine-tuning his crossing.
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Keeper Darren Randolph also returned in the summer. He is a popular character and a once toxic dressing room is a far more professional place to be under Moyes.
The results have certainly improved and, while there will be the odd blip, it looks as though West Ham are a club on the rise.
'MANAGERS HAVE ALWAYS LIED'
SOME were horrified when West Brom boss Sam Allardyce revealed an agreement that new boy Robert Snodgrass would not face former club West Ham.
This has been going on for years but managers have always lied and claimed their player was injured.
Things have not always worked out well though.
Peterborough bought Liam Hatch from Barnet with an agreement that he would not play in the forthcoming match.
Yet Posh director of football Barry Fry forgot to tell manager Darren Ferguson.
He brought him on with the score at 0-0 and, nine minutes later, Hatch got the winner.
Barnet’s officials went into meltdown.
CHARITABLE REDS
FOOTBALL clubs do a lot of good which goes under the radar.
Manchester United have won hearts in Croatia by donating £10,000 to the Dinamo Zagreb Foundation, helping victims of the recent earthquake.
⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford
DANNY IN HOT WATER
DANNY DRINKWATER’S Kasimpasa debut in Turkey was delayed after he missed Monday’s game following a freak swimming pool injury.
Chelsea’s disastrous £35million midfield signing is on loan for the rest of the season.
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Boss Fuat Capa said yesterday: “We have 20 games in front of us. It would be an achievement if we can use him for 15 or 16 matches.”
Considering Drinkwater has started ten Premier League games since leaving Leicester in 2017, it would not be an ‘achievement’ if he plays 15 times. It would be a bloody miracle.
⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge
