The West Ham United midfielder has been disappointing recently.
Several West Ham United players have improved significantly since the appointment of David Moyes as manager, but Cheikhou Kouyate is not one of them.
The midfielder enjoyed a fine start to his West Ham career after joining from Anderlecht in 2014, but over the past couple of seasons he has produced some rather underwhelming performances.
Tonight, as West Ham face Tottenham Hotspur away in an eagerly-anticipated encounter, Kouyate, if he features, will be especially determined to impress Moyes as he looks to convince his manager that he is a player that can be relied upon for the long term.
When at his best Kouyate is capable of using a combination of power and technique to glide past players, while is able to provide the perfect link between defence and attack.
Of late, however, he has frequently been disappointing and if he fails to seize his opportunity against Tottenham then it is questionable whether Kouyate deserves to play regularly.
West Ham, in the heat of a battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League, cannot afford to carry any passengers, and Kouyate isn’t proving his worth at the moment. Now is the time for the Senegal international to step up.
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