View: David Moyes must drop West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek
Tomas Soucek had cut a sorrow figure as West Ham managed a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Czech Republic midfielder has made 24 starts in the league, managing three goals and an assist. However, his performances of late have been disappointing.
While there’s no shortage of energy from him, his overall creativity has been rarely found. Last season, he was one of the best players for the Hammers, drawing plaudits from the likes of Jamie Carragher [9 March 2021].
He was hailed as “unbelievable” by Frank McAvennie back in October. But in recent months, his drop in form is clearly visible.
He suffers whenever Declan Rice moves forward. Last season, Rice sat in front of the back four and allowed Soucek to make late runs in the box.
In such a scenario, Moyes should make a brave call and drop Soucek from the starting line-up. Instead, he must bring Nikola Vlasic in a midfield tactical shake-up.
Pablo Fornals brings energy and dynamism to the side, and he can operate as a box-to-box player, in Soucek’s position.
Vlasic, who has not been regularly used by Moyes, can be a lethal weapon if he is given the confidence. The 24-year-old is a versatile player who can be shifted to the left-hand side to fill Fornal’s position.
The Croatian has made only four starts in the league but he could become more effective in a dynamic midfield set-up.
In that way, the Hammers will have two versatile attacking-minded midfielders while Rice can drop deep and provide a safety belt for the back four.
In other West Ham news, View: club should ignore bizarre Kurt Zouma mocking from rival fans.