MARKO SPELLS IBRACADABRA!
MARKO ARNAUTOVIC has a touch of magic and is not an egotistical ‘Zlatan wannabe’, says West Ham pal Arthur Masuaku.
“This guy is a beast,” said Masuaku. “He can be a top player if he keeps on like this.
“But off the pitch he is a funny guy. People used to say he tries to show he’s a bit like Zlatan Ibrahimovic but not at all.
“He’s a funny guy, you just go to him and laugh. He’s just normal, an easy guy. In his mind he is free and he is just enjoying the game.”
West Ham need Arnautovic to get serious against his former club Stoke at the London Stadium tomorrow in what is a massive game for both clubs.
Paul Lambert’s second-bottom Potters will close the gap on their hosts to just four points if they win to keep their slim survival hopes alive.
A West Ham win would put PAUL LAMBERT is looking forward to sharing an Irn Bru with David Moyes tomorrow – but knows iron discipline is Stoke’s only hope for survival. Lambert replaced Mark Hughes as Stoke boss in January, and hopes the tough regime he’s imposed on the unruly Potters can pay off now – starting with an away win at West Ham tomorrow night. Lambert said: “I came here with 15 games to go. “You prepare from July to May – it’s not 15 games which decide your season. “But there’s no doubt staying up would be right up there with my best achievements in football.”
Lambert praised the spirit and effort of his players, them on 37 points — but with Arsenal away, Manchester City at home, Leicester away, Manchester United at home and Everton at home in their last five fixtures.
Masuaku added: “If we beat Stoke we can take a great step.
“We haven’t set a target of points to be safe. It’s a big opportunity to move away from the relegation zone.
“If we handle the game the way we did against Southampton and Chelsea we’ll win it. We need though presumably with certain exceptions.
Midfielder Ibrahim Afellay will have his contract terminated by mutual consent, having failed to toe the Lambert line, and defender Erik Pieters (right) was fined £70,000 after breaking a curfew.
Saido Berahino was sent to train with the Under 23’s earlier this month for lateness.
Jese Rodriguez, the Paris Saint-Germain loan striker, failed to return to training at all last week after compassionate leave to care for his poorly son in Spain. He last played in the defeat to Everton last month.
But Lambert, 48, is confident he has players he can rely on to beat fellow Scot Moyes’s Irons – and kick-start a Potters survival miracle.
Lambert said: “Normally one or two teams will have broken free from the relegation zone by now, but there’s still a handful of teams battling it out. Anything can still happen.
“The group is playing really well and the supporters are right behind us, which is the most important thing.
“We’ve got to get wins now – 100million per cent. I know where we can hurt West Ham. We have to execute the plans.”
And Lambert is relishing locking horns with Moyes, a manager he rates very highly, and one who has had his own struggles in recent jobs. A plane carrying an anti-Moyes banner was famously flown over Old Trafford when he was in the hotseat at Manchester United. Lambert added: “I just don’t get the idea of hiring a plane and flying it over a stadium for 10 minutes. It’s wrong.
“It might not even have been United fans, it could have been anybody who wanted to have a pop at the guy.
“His time at Sunderland is probably the one which is a bit sore, but David is still a top manager. Criticism of him has been well over the top.”
Lambert joked: “Whatever happens I’ll have an Irn Bru with him after, as long it’s diet.” to be strong and compact, we don’t have to be under any kind of pressure.”
Masuaku has been back on song since returning from a six-game suspension for spitting at Wigan midfielder Nick Powell in the FA Cup on January 27.
He said: “It’s been frustrating because I couldn’t help my team.
“The gaffer has helped me a lot. It’s good to know he’s behind you and just wants to help you become a better player.”