da blaze casino： West Ham were struggling to find central defenders to play against Manchester United at the weekend, but Senegalese midfielder Cheikou Kouyate showed just how important it is for Premier League teams to have versatile players available in their squad. The former Anderlecht man filled in at centre-back and played brilliantly, adapting to the position as if he was a regular.
da roleta： Kouyate also took his goal incredibly well, juggling the ball in the penalty box before lashing home. A man-of-the-match performance was something Sam Allardyce needed against a Man United team that have only lost once in their last 14 Premier League games. West Ham defended well throughout, only to be denied by a last minute Daley Blind strike that gained the visitors a crucial away point.
If it wasn’t for Kouyate’s excellent performance, it could have been a different story for West Ham. The Senegalese man made more clearances and more blocks than anyone else in the West Ham team, as well as winning the highest amount of tackles for the Hammers, joint with Kevin Nolan and Alex Song. His versatility was one of the reasons as to why Allardyce purchased the midfielder in the summer and although Kouyate prefers to play in a midfield role, he showed just how capable a footballer he is with his mature performance. Although players like Kouyate may not be the shining stars that will sell their names on the back of supporters’ shirts, they are still incredibly vital to the team.
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It isn’t just West Ham that benefit from having a player that can play in more than one position. Wayne Rooney is another good example at United. Although there is a lot of debate surrounding whether he is wasted in his current midfield role, the fact that he can play in that position is a massive advantage for Louis Van Gaal, who can then accommodate both van Persie and Radamel Falcao in attack. Although this particular line up may not be working as well as Van Gaal would like, Rooney’s ability to play in more than one position on the pitch gives the manager the opportunity to experiment with his side without dropping the England captain from the starting eleven.
There are other players throughout a number of Premier League teams that perform well in a variety of roles. Holding midfielder Emre Can of Liverpool has shown that he is a very capable central defender in recent weeks, slotting into Brendan Rodgers’ preferred 3-4-3 formation at Liverpool. James Milner proved he can operate across the midfield as well as filling in up front when Manchester City suffered an injury crisis in attack earlier this season.
All of these players become very useful when seasons take a turn for the worse in terms of injuries and suspensions. Without Kouyate on Sunday, Sam Allardyce could have been forced to play 16-year-old centre-back Reece Oxford who, despite receiving a number of plaudits for his performances in the Academy this season, would have found it a daunting task to play against the likes of Falcao and van Persie on his first taste of professional football.
This may not be the last time West Ham look to Cheikou Kouyate in order to provide defensive cover, with games coming thick and fast for the Hammers this week. Although Kouyate may prefer playing in a more advanced position up the pitch, his contribution to the Hammers’ point against Manchester United as a centre-back is one of his most valuable performances in a West Ham shirt to date.
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