West Ham, David Moyes, Tomas Soucek, Man United, FA Cup
West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek has been the subject of praise despite their fifth round FA Cup defeat to Man United last night.
The Lowdown: Hammers humbled…
The Hammers travelled to Old Trafford on Wednesday evening after securing a much-needed 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League last weekend.
David Moyes has been under pressure lately as his side flirt with top flight relegation and a potential cup run may have done wonders to lift spirits at the London Stadium.
Alas, West Ham bowed out at the Last 16 stage after squandering a surprise lead, with Said Benrahma’s stunning opening goal cancelled out by strikes from Nayef Aguerd (OG), Alejandro Garnacho and Fred late on.
The Latest: Soucek praised…
Despite defeat, journalist Joshua Mbu of The Sun highlighted what was, in his words, a ‘brilliant’ display from Soucek further forward than usual.
He said:
“Been a massive, massive critic of Soucek, but he’s been brilliant playing in an advanced role.”
The Verdict: Shining light?
The former Slavia Prague star could be seen as a threat given he managed three attempts at goal, one on target and two off, and won the vast majority of his aerial duels (SofaScore).
Indeed, Soucek was victorious in six out of nine battles in the air against Erik ten Hag’s side and there were positives to take from his overall display.
The 28-year-old was also praised by other sections of the media for his ‘solid’ display defensively and contributions going forward.
Moyes seemingly allowed Soucek to operate with more freedom and it will be interesting to see if he keeps up this notable pick-up in form as of late.
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