‘He wreaks havoc’ – Gary Neville lauds West Ham star Thomas Soucek
West Ham fell to a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday but that did not prevent Gary Neville from picking out Thomas Soucek for praise.
The Czech Republic international has been in incredible form this season with eight goals in 21 league games, and his performances have not gone unnoticed.
Soucek struggled to impact the game against a dominant Liverpool side, but Neville shared admiration for him.
Commentating on the match for Sky Sports (Sunday, 4.30pm), Neville said, “I’ve been here a number of times this season. Every time I see him (Soucek) move into the box, he wreaks havoc when the ball is played in from wide areas.”
Big impact since signing
Neville highlighting Soucek for praise says a lot about the midfielder’s displays this season.
West Ham have had a number of stand-out players recently.
Michail Antonio has led the led superbly and is in fine form with two goals in four games, while Angelo Ogbonna has won significant plaudits.
Declan Rice also continues to perform to a consistently high level, yet it is his midfield partner Soucek who has left a big impression on Neville.
For good reason, too, as Soucek plays a significant role in both attack and defence for the Irons.
Prior to his arrival, we were often overrun in the middle of the park, with Mark Noble’s average WhoScored rating of 6.04 last term showing he underperformed.
Soucek arrived and solved that problem almost immediately.
It is little surprise we have conceded just 26 goals in the 23 games he has featured in this term.
The platform he provides alongside Rice gives greater freedom to the likes of Pablo Fornals, Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma, and we have improved as a result.
Soucek’s aerial presence is a joy to watch, and he has deservedly earned comparisons to Marouane Fellaini.
He did not have the best of games against Liverpool, scoring a 6.1 rating per WhoScored, but his three tackles and one interception did help to keep them at bay for almost an hour.
The upcoming match against Aston Villa is the type of fixture Soucek relishes, and we hope he can pop up with yet another winning goal.
In other West Ham news, many West Ham fans react to Michail Antonio display in West Ham defeat v Liverpool.