✍ Welcome Vladimír Coufal

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BigFatSam
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by BigFatSam »

His credit in the bank is running out, if it hasn’t already. I’ll see how he performs over the course of the next few games but it’s starting to feel like many right backs before him. One good season followed by 3 poor ones etc.
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Panoramix
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by Panoramix »

Funny moment in the match with NF, I think the first half, he was moving with the ball from the side line towards the middle and suddenly, as he is recognized by opponents already as a guy with no pace, he was given no attention at all by NF players....

There had opened suudenly a higway in front of him and he could run into the box...not challanged...
And in that moment you could see he **** his pants, stopped and was desperatly looking for someone to give him a pass, to get rid off the ball. He is really scared of the ball :chin:

So desperate Vlad has decided to get rid off the ball by a give away shot at the end. He literally did liberate himself.

Not funny thing is - exactly this has already happened last season. He can pass forward, he can do a cross. But he knows his pace is probably the worst in all PM (even Maguire seems to be faster) so you can see how scared he is when he is forced to run with the ball. Because he knows he will lose the ball.

Opponents are focusing on WestHam´s RB. Yesterady more than 50% of NF attacks were targeted on Coufal.

(Weird thing is in Fifa 2022 the pace is his strongest chracteristics. He gets 82...While Bowen 76) :crylol:
Noble's Claret Army
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by Noble's Claret Army »

You make a good point about forest targeting coufal yesterday. I see a lot slagging off cresswell when he didn't seem to have a bad game. Coufal on the other hand looked a liability especially in attack. I'm sure he used to cross the ball well but I can't remember the last good one he made. I could see kehrer taking his place when all the defence is fit and available.
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hammers92
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by hammers92 »

Beginning to become a problem now isn’t he? Real shame, maybe he peaked and this is his level (which is in no way a criticism).

Once the CB’s are back fit then Johnson at RB should become more of a permanent thing.
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by El brooko79 »

hammers92 wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:00 am Beginning to become a problem now isn’t he? Real shame, maybe he peaked and this is his level (which is in no way a criticism).

Once the CB’s are back fit then Johnson at RB should become more of a permanent thing.
I'd go as far as playing Ashby Thursday night.
See if we can get him so decent game time next few months to see if he can step up.
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wizzo_66
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by wizzo_66 »

Worst performer by a distance at the club at the moment. No pace, poor decision making, can't beat a man, crossing is poor. Passing off. Positionally poor.

Summed it up for me at the end his level since he returned from that injury. He had a 70/30 ball in his favour which Surridge won and knocked past him. Surridge then beat him in a 15 yard foot race. A player slower than James Collins.

The pelters Cresswell gets, who despite his failings, is still the one putting in half decent crosses, continues to be a threat from set pieces and is very good with the ball at his feet with a player in front of him comfortable cutting in (see Benhrama yesterday, Payet).

I despair every time I see this fella on the team sheet. He's totally shot.
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StevePottsGoalsReel
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by StevePottsGoalsReel »

Gonna go against the tide and say I don't think he's been that bad the last couple of games. Certainly kept Grealish pretty quiet the other week.

He shat himself when he had the chance to shoot yesterday, but he's been doing that since he joined us. I remember one shanked cross yesterday, but apart from that thought he got up and down well and offered the width we desperately lack without him doing it. Especially as he might as well have had the invisible man in front of him the last two weeks given the way Bowen's started the season.

Backing Vlad to beat the RB curse and have a good season. :scarfer:
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funky chicken
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by funky chicken »

He looked back to his old self towards the end of last season. But has been average at best 2 games into this one. Although Bowen’s anonymous performances probably haven’t helped either.

His crossing has oddly been poor in the last 2 games.
Lovejoy
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by Lovejoy »

I don’t think he did. He was rubbish last season & then the injury came to light & your inclined to think that may have been a factor. He has started this season exactly the same, has to come out the side.
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Marky
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by Marky »

I really think he is a poor player. Worse than Cresswell poor. So limited technically.
GetUrWangOut
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by GetUrWangOut »

The form of Coufal has been a concern for a while. I think when all fit he’s on the bench with Johnson at rb. It’s a shame as a top form Coufal is amazing but perhaps that player is no longer there. He certainly hasn’t been much over the last 12 months
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by jabbaglob123 »

Has Coufal been poor because of Bowen? Cresswell seemed decent against Forest and Benrahma put in a man of the match performance, I feel like this isn't a coincidence.
GetUrWangOut
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by GetUrWangOut »

jabbaglob123 wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:38 pm Has Coufal been poor because of Bowen? Cresswell seemed decent against Forest and Benrahma put in a man of the match performance, I feel like this isn't a coincidence.
Possibly so far this season but Bowen was electric last year and Coufal was still not great. I know he had a hernia but I don’t think there’s been any improvement since his return.
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by HammerAl »

I think he may have been found out at this level. He had an unbelievably good first season, but I can’t see him getting back to anywhere near that same standard again. I don’t think he’ll be awful, but I believe he’s peaked.

I did feel it was an uninspiring signing at the time - a 27 year old (with only 7 caps) who had only played for a good Czech team for two seasons - so I wonder if the majority of us having low expectations helped?
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Aztec Hammer
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by Aztec Hammer »

He looks so bad, it’s quite stunning actually.

The composure has left him. Positionally nervy as anything. Developing tunnelvision for the sideline with a refusal to calmly move the ball infield.

He has always fallen to bits in good attacking positions but as mentioned above in posts, it was jarring how a couple of times yesterday he got the ball in absolute acres of space, and just shat his pants and kicked tamely at it first time.
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Colours never run
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by Colours never run »

It appears many of our fans have short memories regarding the significant contribution our 2 Czech signings have made since we were desperately fighting relegation. Now they appear to many to be our new scapegoats and it's not sitting well with me and some others.

I'd sooner trust them 2 battlers in our side than do without them in the side. I've mostly thought of them as being excellent in our change in fortunes and it instantly coincided with them signing and playing ever since. They have been a big reason as to our recent successes and I think it's a shame their contribution is getting somewhat overlooked and under appreciated. Our form in the League, as well as our fantastic run in in Europe has coincided with them and not in spite of them. We should remember that before thinking they're now easily replaced or the like.

And for anyone wishing to pick the bones out of Coufal and what he does or doesn't offer, here's his Premier League stats...

https://www.premierleague.com/players/7 ... ufal/stats

I'm not seeing a useless right back like I'm being made to believe personally, but horses for courses and all that.
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Aztec Hammer
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by Aztec Hammer »

CNR

Your steadfast loyalty to our players is admirable from a fan perspective, but in fairness, just as easily as you might accuse posters of scapegoating players, it could be argued that you overrate our players once they are here and overlook their deficiencies, limitations or just bad form.

I’m not necessarily saying you’re wrong for your opinions, but you’ve called Soucek an £80m player, rave about Lanzini, and see Johnson and Coufal as top quality full backs. You can see how this could be perceived as claret and blue tinted glasses right?

Again, not necessarily interested in caning you for those opinions, but it’s when that word ‘scapegoating’ comes out that I think it merits pushback.

People should be allowed to criticise players that they see as underperforming or even just identify them as not good enough for certain roles etc in a team that’s trying to reach a certain level.
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by Colours never run »

But if it's not scapegoating, then what is it, as I've read it continously on here since last season like these 2 aren't somehow good enough, yet we have enjoyed 2 fantastic back to back seasons which coincided with their inclusion off the back of a relegation fight, playing the lion share of all those games. Some justified criticism along the way - some of which I agree with - but it's getting to the point where people genuinely believe they need replacing, as if the last 2 quality seasons never happened with them being almost ever present. It doesn't add up and make sense to me to hear it, when I consider what they've both contributed towards our recent successes relatively on the pitch.

I can acknowledge they both aren't in decent form but have seen enough of them both now to know it's more of a blip, rather than they are continously being carried by the other 9 players in the Team. That's how it comes across and it's not even close to the truth to what they've both contributed to the side since they first arrived.

They don't suddenly need upgrading as I keep often hearing, they just need a bit of time to get back to their best - what with Soucek being overplayed and Coufal who's also had to play with an injury before eventually having surgery to rectify the ongoing issue he had.

And it's not even because I see every West Ham United player through claret and blue glasses, I've often made it known when there's something I don't like from 1 of our player's and have dug them out accordingly when it's necessary, so that doesn't hold much weight to that argument - Bowen being the recent example of that - but again, another one I still have faith in long term.
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by D C »

After years of shambolic or non-existent full back investment i’m just grateful that we don’t need immediate upgrades at RB at least.

Coufal and Johnson are both far from perfect but both better than we’ve had for years. It’s good that our standards are high and any player can be improved on but i’m still appreciating our RB situation because it can be and was a lot worse
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NedN
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Re: Vladimír Coufal signs

Post by NedN »

In a lot of ways he is the victim of his own success in that first season. He (and the rest of our team) came into that season without the burden of any expectations, and with most teams in the league, regardless of their position in the table, wanting to have a go at us since we had just escaped relegation the year before, thus letting us play an effective counterattacking style. Coufal thus ended up being one of the top FB assist makers from open play in the entire league and contributed defensively. Compared to our past FBs that was more than anyone could possibly imagine.

He was never going to repeat that, 1. Because it was a career year for him, and 2. Because a lot of other pieces fell into place (including teams not forcing us to break them down) to make it possible for a player like Coufal to put up the numbers he did.

In the end he is a solid PL fullback who has been great value for his fee. If you see him as that, you will appreciate him and his performances. If you’re treating him as if he should put up his first season numbers and performances when now there are few teams in the league that will let us play the way we did that year, then you’ll be disappointed because he’s not a 35-40 mill rb who we somehow got for 5. If you want that 35 mill rb, you’re going to have to pay that for him 90% or the time (we of all teams should know this since we’ve tried to avoid having to do that for the past two decades). Coufal is just the closest we’ve come to getting that fb bargain.
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