West Ham flop Konstantinos Mavropanos is proving his critics wrong and finally getting the credit he deserves according to his captain Jarrod Bowen.
When Konstantinos Mavropanos joined West Ham for £17.5m from Stuttgart he looked to have all the attributes to be a top Premier League defender and Hammers cult hero in the making.
The big Greek centre-back had not quite made the cut at London rivals Arsenal but blossomed in Germany, where he became known for his powerful displays and breaking out from the back.
At West Ham, though, he had become known for costly errors almost every time he took to the field in the claret and blue.
Bowen says Mavropanos is finally proving West Ham critics wrong
A number of players have been vastly improved under Nuno Espirito Santo.
But on the evidence of his best ever performance for the Hammers in the 1-1 draw with Man City, no-one more than Mavropanos.
Finish this sentence!
Mavropanos' performance is the best by a West Ham defender since… ?
It has been quite the week for Mavropanos after he dispatched West Ham’s winning penalty in the FA Cup victory over Brentford with the unerring quality of an Erling Haaland.
He was named West Ham’s best dressed player for a second year running at the club’s own Oscars.
He followed that up by scoring a towering header from a Jarrod Bowen corner to earn West Ham what could well be a precious point in the battle for survival.
Throw in his man of the match 10/10 defensive display against Pep Guardiola’s side and it is fair to say Mavropanos is changing the narrative around him.
The 28-year-old is actually very shy and is clearly a confidence player on the evidence of his West Ham career to date.
He is full of it right now, winning gushing praise from West Ham fans for his brilliant turnaround in form.
It hasn’t always been this way, though, with frustrated supporters highly critical of Mavropanos until his recent rejuvenation.
After Ballon Dawson, West Ham now have Mavro-Thanos
Now Bowen has said Mavropanos is proving his critics wrong at West Ham – and the skipper loves to see it.
The captain revealed he is close with ‘Dinos’ off the pitch and could not be happier to see him turn his West Ham career around at the most crucial time.
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And he praised West Ham’s ‘most handsome player’ for showing what he is all about by taking a Haaland volley full in the face to stop a potential goal.
“Dinos fully deserves that goal, on the back of the penalty on Monday night, you know to score that goal, he’s been brilliant and he deserves that moment,” Bowen told West Ham TV.
“With Dinos I’ve always said he’s got something (different). He’s got speed, he’s physical, he doesn’t mind putting his head on the line, getting tackles in and as a centre-half he’s been brilliant.
“Like I said the last two games he’s really getting his plaudits, he fully deserves it because I get on really well with him as well so to see him have that moment is really special.”
Despite taking that Haaland volley square in his face, Bowen says he will still pull off a couple of black eyes.
“I think he’ll still be able to pull that off (black eyes) as well!” Bowen added.
“But again I think that’s just what it meant to everyone, defenders putting bodies on the line, getting hit in the face like that from close range to protect the ball from going in the back of the net.”
What a redemption story it would be for Mavropanos to be one of the key players in West Ham’s Premier League survival.
Craig Dawson was written off by many Hammers fans before he’d even kicked a ball for the club.
Mavropanos’ story is slightly different but his attributes and what he is bringing to the team is exactly what has been missing since Dawson left.
And as he starts to finally prove his West Ham critics wrong, he is showing he really can be the difference maker in the fight against relegation.
Where West Ham once had Ballon Dawson, now they’ve got Mavro-Thanos.
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