West Ham Super Fans back Ben Johnson to thrive v Rapid Wien
This is part of a regular series from our panel of West Ham United Super Fans. Each week, our Super Fans will deliver their verdicts on the biggest talking points and news stories around the London Stadium. You can join in the discussion on our West Ham Zone Facebook page.
West Ham Super Fans believe Ben Johnson will do the trick if handed a start against Rapid Wien on Thursday night.
The 21-year-old has been on the fringes of the first team for a while, but has proven to be a player with high potential.
His performances for the Under-23s have highlighted that he’s more than capable of stepping into the shoes of Vladimir Coufal and putting in a shift for the first team.
This opinion is certainly echoed by the Super Fans who took to Facebook to get behind the youngster.
Despite not seeing him starting in too many games under David Moyes, they have seen enough to be assured of him delivering when it matters the most.
Here’s what they said:
Will he deliver?
There’s always promise surrounding a youngster who’s come up the ranks at a club’s academy and we’re certain that Johnson can step up in Coufal’s absence.
The Czech international has played in every league game this term so he needs to be rested.
Ryan Fredericks, who would otherwise step in, is an injury doubt, making 21-year-old the next best fit.
He has done well whenever he’s been handed rare starts in the absence of first-team players and this will undoubtedly be a huge test of his character and credentials.
Regardless, we don’t see him having too much of a problem and it could be a maturing game for him at the London Stadium.
We hope Moyes starts him as we cannot wait to see him thrive under the pressure.
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