Like many other West Ham fans, I have been quietly impressed with summer transfer Jean-Clair Todibo.
Sure, he took a little while to get going and was far from convincing in his full debut in the League Cup against Bournemouth. However, since taking over from Dinos Mavropanos at the heart of the Hammers’ defence, I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen.
He was dropped from the starting line-up for last Sunday’s Premier League win against Manchester United due to injury but was brought on at half-time following a knock to Mavropanos. Much like fellow substitutes Crysencio Summerville and Tomas Soucek, Todibo played his part in a second-half revival against Man U, which saw West Ham clinch a much-needed three points.
The Frenchman is beginning to form a decent central defensive partnership with Max Kilman, but the former Barca man has claimed that he is nowhere near 100% fit.
“I’ve been working very hard to get myself up to speed, and if I’m honest, I’m not even 80 percent yet,” said Todibo.
“I am continuing to work hard on my program and have been since I arrived here because I didn’t have any pre-season. It’s hard for football players who miss pre-season. Pre-season is the most important part of a season for a football player because it allows you to be ready to perform throughout the season, so I’m trying to progress all the time.”
Well, if there is still 20% improvement left to come, Hammers fans are surely in for something of a treat.
