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By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X) Following a poor pre-season and slow start to the campaign, Konstantinos Mavropanos is finally up and running in West Ham’s Championship promotion push. Last season’s Hammer of the Year probably didn’t expect to be playing in the English second tier this season, such was the level of his performances following Nuno Espírito Santo’s appointment. Therefore, it’s understandable that he may have had his head turned in the hope that one of Europe’s bigger clubs would come in with an offer. That didn’t happen and, on the evidence of the last three games, Mavropanos’s loss is very much West Ham’s gain. Because I’m increasingly convinced about something I suspected when we were relegated: Dinos should comfortably be one of the best centre-backs in the Championship. Mavropanos Has His Mojo Back The difference since the transfer window closed has been significant. Against Wolves, Mavropanos was as magnificent as he was calamitous, but importantly his aggression, leadership and motivation appeared to have returned. Then came Derby. Alongside Max Kilman, Dinos produced a dominant defensive performance, winning all nine of his aerial duels as West Ham kept their first Championship clean sheet. At Bolton, we got the slightly chaotic version again, but he also scored another hugely important goal to make it 2-2 before Jarrod Bowen eventually won the game. As I wrote in my player ratings after the game, Mavropanos also made a brilliant tackle which started the move for Bowen’s opener and was unlucky with the deflection for Bolton’s first goal. More importantly, he was a massive threat at the other end. | Mavropanos v Bolton | Stat | |---|---| | Goals | 1 | | Shots / on target | 2 / 2 | | Expected goals (xG) | 0.52 | | Duels won | 11 / 13 | | Defensive duels | 5 / 6 | | Recoveries | 11 | | Passes completed | 45 / 53 | | Progressive passes | 6 / 9 | Double Figures For Dinos? Mavropanos powered home Arne Engels’ excellent free-kick and was unlucky not to score another from a Jarrod Bowen corner. And I’m sticking with my bold prediction. I think Mavropanos can reach double figures this season. That sounds ridiculous for a centre-back, but West Ham’s set-piece delivery should be something of a cheat code in the Championship. Bowen’s delivery is excellent and Arne Engels has already demonstrated what he can do from dead-ball situations. Mavropanos attacks the ball as well as anyone in this division and, against Championship defences, I expect him to get plenty of opportunities. The player himself certainly sounds increasingly settled. Speaking after the Bolton win, Dinos said: “I’m really happy that I scored and helped the team to make it 2-2 and then win the game. “Whoever scores is really important. To get this feeling of scoring and winning is really important for our team, because we want to build the momentum. Again, it was a great, great result at the end.” Transfer Window Closure Has Helped West Ham Mavropanos also acknowledged just how challenging Championship football can be. “It’s challenging, especially playing against teams like here as well. They do their thing. They play really well. They try to avoid us to get the win.” To me, he sounds far more settled and motivated now, and there appears to be an acceptance that he’s going to be at the London Stadium for the duration. Make no mistake about it, I think Nuno and West Ham as a whole have benefited from the transfer window closing. The speculation has gone away. Players know where they’re going to be and the manager knows what he’s working with. In Mavropanos’s case, the difference already looks obvious. Three games ago I wondered whether we’d finally got the old Dinos back. I’m not really wondering anymore.