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West Brom's Grzegorz Krychowiak already proving one of the shrewdest signings of the summer
Just two games into his West Brom career and Grzegorz Krychowiak already appears one of the shrewdest signings in the Premier League this season.
His loan move to the unlikely environs of the Black Country to join Tony Pulis was described as putting a ballerina in a moshpit, but perhaps the biggest surprise is that England’s elite clubs failed to act.
The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder was outstanding against West Ham, disrupting opponents and protecting Albion’s back four, in what was only his third league game of the year after being frozen out in France.
Signed by PSG from Sevilla for £28m last summer, he is clearly in the shop window for the season with West Brom agreeing to pay all of his £110,000 a week wages. Baggies fans have just got to enjoy the ride.
Slaven Bilic, the West Ham manager, snubbed a proposed move to sign Krychowiak but on this evidence it will be the Premier League’s top six that regret overlooking the Poland international.
Pulis said: “I think he’ll be a top player for us. He didn’t play any games in pre-season and speaking to him after the game he still feels he’s not sharp or as strong as he’d like to be.
“I was still very surprised we got him. I realised he wasn't playing for PSG on a regular basis and they tend to fall off the screen, and he did that, which was great for us, because we could then follow up on it.”
While Krychowiak’s performance was one of the few highlights from this dire stalemate, with Gareth Barry equalling Ryan Giggs’ Premier League appearance record of 632, England international Jake Livermore was given the weekend off.
Pulis revealed Livermore was “mentally tired” and sources insist there is nothing sinister behind his exclusion, with the midfielder not expected back until Thursday. He will miss Wednesday's EFL Cup tie against Manchester City.
West Ham had the best chance of this snoozefest when Pedro Obiang struck the crossbar in the first half but this game fizzled out like a firework in the rain, extending West Ham’s unbeaten record to two games.
Jose Fonte, the West Ham defender, said: “We have most definitely got some momentum now and the results will come. The confidence is coming.
“We’ve had two good results. Now we have to grab that and keep winning and if we can go on a run, we will climb the table.”