David Moyes wanted to replace West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek, forced to rely on him
David Moyes wanted to replace West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek but he was forced to rely on him this season, according to Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian.
Soucek has been underperforming for a long time but Moyes is left with little option as the club failed to sign a proper central holding midfielder in the summer.
Steinberg suggests it’s a “messy” situation as it took him long to drop the faltering Czech Republic midfielder and bring in Lucas Paqueta alongside Declan Rice in midfield, a move that could work in the long run.
“It is messy. Moyes wanted to replace Soucek but has been forced to rely on the faltering Czech. It took him until last Friday’s limp defeat by Brentford to try something different, with Paquetá dropping back to partner Rice. “I am going to look a bit more at him a bit deeper,” Moyes said of Paquetá, who is yet to prove that he is quick enough in mind and body for the Premier League,” wrote Steinberg for The Guardian.
Messy
It is messy. Despite the fact that the club spent over £150 million in the summer, the situation is far from ideal, and the league table does not lie.
Moyes has done an incredible job so far, but he struggles every time whenever a aim to reach the next level by spending big in the market.
The club waited too long to go after some of their targets but failed to lure them.
Moyes was equally unlucky as two of his big-money summer signings, Nayef Aguerd and Maxwell Cornet, have been injured for almost the entire first half of the campaign.
Some of his tactics are questionable and it feels like Moyes is gradually losing the dressing room. He is running out of ideas on how to turn the tide after five defeats in a row.
The Hammers find themselves 17th in the league table at the moment with only 14 points, and just above Nottingham Forest on goal difference.