David Moyes will not put ‘shackles’ on Lucas Paqueta in West Ham v Liverpool even though he ‘frustrates the hell’ out of him
David Moyes has no plans to “slap on the shackles” for Lucas Paqueta when West Ham visit Liverpool in the Carabao Cup quarter-final, even though he “frustrates the hell” out of him according to Daily Mail journalist Kieran Gill.
Brazilian attacking midfielder Paqueta was in superb form as the Hammers defeated Wolves 3-0 on Sunday (17 December), providing two assists for Mohammed Kudus.
Paqueta will be crucial to West Ham’s hopes of getting past Liverpool at Anfield, a venue where Moyes has never won in 20 visits as a manager.
Moyes has a propensity for pragmatic football but Gill wrote that Moyes is willing to let Paqueta go with his natural instincts as he looks to pull off an upset on Wednesday (20 December).
Writing for the Mail Online (19 December), Gill commented: “They know as well as West Ham’s fans that the in-form Paqueta is someone to fear in Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup quarter-final. Someone who could sidestep you in a phone box.
“Someone who plays killer passes, like his two assists for Mohammed Kudus against Wolves on Sunday. Someone who wins fouls, providing James Ward-Prowse with set-piece opportunities.
“Someone who frustrates the hell out of his manager, too, when one of his tricks leads to the loss of the ball. Yet Moyes has given Paqueta rare dispensation, telling his Brazilian magnifico that he will not slap on the shackles at the risk of losing what makes him so special.”
Let him loose
It is not so much that this game is a free hit for the Hammers, there is no reason to think that – even accounting for Moyes’ woeful Anfield record – they cannot get the job done and take a step closer to the final.
But it is true to say that most will think of the visitors as the underdogs and in such circumstances, you need a bit of a wildcard to pull off the upset and prove the doubters wrong.
Paqueta is undoubtedly someone who can be that wildcard. The Brazilian ace has been in excellent form lately and had the Wolves defence on strings last time out in a brilliant all-round performance.
He can be the key to picking apart Liverpool at Anfield, so Moyes absolutely must let him free against the Reds and – as Gill says – avoid putting the shackles on him. He is a difference-maker, so just let him be a difference-maker. It might just get the Hammers into the semi-finals if he does.
In other West Ham news, why Moyes should axe Vladimir Coufal against the Reds.