How excited we were as West Ham fans this summer with the influx of ten new players – ‘bouncing off the walls’ I think was how we were described in August. The new signings kept coming after a quiet first few weeks, along with associated drama with executive jets and deadline day dashes.
Some have been instantly successful – but others from outside the Premier League have kept us waiting in growing frustration to show their skill and value to the club.
My article in September mirrored this frustration: A month ago I wrote an article subtly entitled ‘Where’s Todibo’ suggesting it must be Jean-Clair time after Mavropanos mistakes. We even asked our high-ranking source at West Ham who confirmed the head coach didn’t think Todibo fit enough for the Premier League which received all sorts of derisory comments.
Now Jean-Clair has been confessing all to whufc.com regarding his fitness, and it makes his position very clear: Lopetegui was quite right.
Todibo has impressed for West Ham – even at just 80%
Todibo admits: ” I’ve been working very hard to get myself up to speed, and if I’m honest, I’m not even 80 per cent as of yet.. I didn’t have any pre-season, and 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.“
“At the beginning with my physical condition, it was impossible for me to help the team, so it was understandable for me to be on the bench, and it takes time for me to get fit. Even today, I’m not as fit as I want to be, so I believe the best of Jean-Clair Todibo is still to come.”
At just eighty per cent fit, Todibo has already established himself as a first choice (admittedly of only three) central defender and is forming a promising working partnership with Max Kilman. If there is another 20% to come, I’m actually quite excited for our season.
West Ham can get better, with the appearance of clean sheets and more points coming our way. Credit where its due, it would have been easy for Lopetegui to throw Todibo in at the deep end just to get the media – and people like me – off his back.
But he made the right call.
