NIFTY SHADE OF GREY
Arnautovic aims to show Moyes he’s a cut above the rest
MARKO ARNAUTOVIC has guaranteed he will be West Ham’s stand-out player – by returning to training with a grey barnet. Hammers boss David Moyes described maverick forward Arnautovic as “a little bit different”. And the Austrian underlined that description with his eyecatching new hairdo. New-look Arnautovic (left) could make his West Ham return following a hamstring injury against Watford today after sitting out their last three games. And, if he does, his team-mates will have no problem picking him out. Moyes said: “We’re not sure if he’s ready yet to play. It’s an injury we need to be mindful of. But Marko is Marko, full of confidence. He knows exactly what he wants to do and when he wants to do it. Sometimes that’s really good when he’s got the ability to know he can eliminate anyone at any moment. It makes him that little bit different.” Moyes could hand new signing Patrice Evra a debut against Watford following his midweek arrival.
The 36-year-old former Manchester United left-back (inset, left) was available on a free after being sacked by Marseille for kicking a fan in the head before a Europa League tie in November.
Moyes snapped up the Frenchman as cover for suspended Arthur Masuaku and believes he will have as big an impact off the pitch as on it. The Hammers boss, who worked with Evra at Old Trafford, said: “He told me the story about the incident at Marseille and, when he told me, you could say ‘I understand the reaction.’ “But I have also got to say that what he did was wrong. We can’t condone it. But he wouldn’t have done it if he wasn’t severely provoked.” Moyes, who could also include fellow new signing Joao Mario (inset) in his starting line-up today, went on: “Players and managers throughout the country get abuse week in week out so it’s something we have to get used to. On this occasion Pat clearly made the wrong decision. “You saw him in the Euros playing for France and how important he was to the French national team so now I’m hoping that what he can bring to my players is a taste of what it is like at the top.”