West Ham star Lucas Paqueta has left Alan Pardew red-faced after ‘liability’ claim
Alan Pardew has made himself look silly after criticising Lucas Paqueta at West Ham.
Paqueta netted for West Ham against Nottingham Forest last time out as he helped Graham Potter to a much-needed 3-0 win at the City Ground.
This came just hours after Paqueta was strongly linked to Aston Villa, but a move away from the London Stadium ultimately fell through.
It is fair to say that this has been seen as a boost to the claret and blue faithful, especially after Paqueta’s legal case against the FA came to an end.
With that being said, Pardew is far from sold on Paqueta, but the former manager has got it wrong in his most recent examination of the attacking midfielder.
Alan Pardew labels Lucas Paqueta a ‘liability’
There is no getting away from the fact that the Brazil international struggled for form last season while a court battle hung over him.
Since then, the FA’s case against Paqueta has ended at West Ham, and now, the number 10 can focus wholeheartedly on his football.
That isn’t to say that Paqueta completely threw the towel in last campaign, his goal involvement just wasn’t what it should have been considering the quality he possesses.
| Stat (Premier League 24/25) | Lucas Paqueta |
| Appearances | 36 |
| Goals | 5 |
| Assists | 0 |
The same accusation was levelled at Mohammed Kudus, who has since gone on to receive praise for his start to life at Tottenham.
On the flip side, the Hammers star has continued to come under fire, with previous comments from Pardew about the Brazilian emerging in East London.
Speaking via talkSPORT in 2024, the ex-Irons boss said: “He is almost like a liability at times when you haven’t got the ball. He has got unbelievable quality, and if I was at West Ham, I would play him.
“But I would certainly look at my back four and look for a bit more pace, a little bit more organisation. Because if you are asking me what their problem is, it is defending.”
Lucas Paqueta has proven Alan Pardew wrong at West Ham
It has to be said that this opinion from the former Newcastle United boss is quite naive, given the work rate that Paqueta typically showcases.
That has already been seen this season, after just three matches, with the attacker having already covered 10.6km in the Premier League, the second most in the Hammers’ squad (FotMob).
Potter’s number 10 is second only to summer signing Malick Diouf, who is famed for his energy and stamina down the flank as a wing-back.
This has followed on from last season, where Paqueta was also defensively excellent and among the best in the squad in certain metrics.
Only Jarrod Bowen and Evan Ferguson won possession in the final third more times per 90 than the ex-Lyon man last campaign, as he did so 0.6 times.
This wasn’t a one-off as the Brazilian also ranks in the top three players in the squad for successful tackles, blocks and possession won in the final third per 90 for the current season.
Paqueta’s defensive stats so far this season:
- Successful tackles per 90: 1.7
- Blocks per 90: 0.7
- Possession won in the final third per 90: 0.3
- Distance covered: 10.6km
All these factors contribute to a run of industrious performances which ultimately showcase that Pardew was wrong in his verdict.
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