Say one thing about David Moyes, say he knows how to manage his team. West Ham United have their flaws, Moyes knows that. We all know that.
But the Scottish manager has cultivated a real sense of belief in London and for all the claims of his stylistic pragmaticism, Moyes has won a European honour and remains in the race for a fourth successive continental campaign, seventh in the Premier League after 31 matches.
A point against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday evening must be met with positivity, but now shaped and used as fuel for the remainder of the year, where a purple patch is now a necessity to prevail against divisional rivals and overcome Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League quarter-finals – a tall order indeed.
It was a hard graft; the players put in a shift. But unfortunately, right-back Vladimir Coufal could not bounce back from his horrorshow during last weekend's shocking collapse against Newcastle United, instead flattering to deceive once again.
Vladimir Coufal's performance vs Spurs
Coufal has been an impressive, dependable figure in east London since signing for a small sum of £5m back in 2020, with the Czech international even being hailed as "one of the best signings that club have made in recent history" by Dan Woffenden.
But he's been a touch out of sorts recently and after struggling at the epicentre of Newcastle's comeback from 3-1 down to win 4-3 at St. James' Park on Saturday, he was branded with a 4/10 match rating by The Evening Standard's Malik Ouzia.
Minutes played
90'
Touches
55
Accurate passes
19/30 (63%)
Key passes
0
Tackles
0
Clearances
2
Duels won
0/2
Dribble attempts
0/1
Possession lost
20x
Well, it didn't get much better against Ange Postecoglou's Lilywhites, with Ouzia giving him a 5/10 score and writing: 'Run ragged by Anthony Gordon at Newcastle on Saturday and given a tough time again here by Timo Werner. Alert at the back-post to deny the German a certain winner.'
It's not great reading really, is it? Coufal might not have endured the calamitous display suffered against Anthony Gordon last weekend but he certainly left much to be desired.
Failing with both of his duel attempts and his one dribbling effort nullified much of West Ham's fluency down the right, also failing to create a single key pass for his teammates.
Perhaps it's time for the 31-year-old to move to the bench for a bit, especially with the fleet-footed Rayan Ait-Nouri up next as West Ham meet Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Ben Johnson is clearly unfavoured by Moyes and is out of contract in the summer. However, up-and-coming talent Junior Robinson might just find an opportunity amongst the seniors given Coufal's nosedive in form.
Why West Ham should unleash Junior Robinson
With a name fit for a flashy American Football wide receiver, it's only natural that Junior Robinson is endowed with blistering speed and deft close-control ability.
The 19-year-old is comfortable across the different rungs of the right-sided ladder on the pitch and has impressed for a West Ham U21s side that currently perch in second place in the Premier League 2, posting a goal and three assists from 13 development league fixtures.
Last season, Robinson was beset by injuries that limited him to just five starting appearances, but he has since bounced back to showcase his powers of resilience, overcoming adversity at a young age that will have mentally prepared him for life on the senior stage, hardening him, fortifying his resolve.
His speed and boyish ebullience make for great tools to succeed in the English top-flight, winning five duels and two tackles in a 1-0 EFL Trophy victory over Newport County earlier in the campaign too, highlighting his budding defensive qualities.
Coufal has been a great servant for West Ham and will continue to play a part for Moyes' team, but perhaps Robinson should now be unleashed to leapfrog former academy star Johnson and fight for a starring spot on the right flank of the Irons' rearguard.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.