The position of the Czech representatives in West Ham United is changing radically in the current Premier League season. Vladimír Coufal has already lost the obvious certainty in the starting line-up and, although Tomáš Souček remains an indispensable man for David Moyes, Hammers fans criticize him more and more.
It’s no different after the Hammers’ equalizer in Southampton on Sunday, which was secured by captain Declan Rice with a second-half equalizer.
While Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is singled out as West Ham’s best player, who played guests at St. Mary’s Stadium saved multiple times, Coufal and Souček are among the worst members of Moyes’ selection.
The worst reviews from the islands are perhaps only for the performance of the left winger, the Italian Emerson Palmieri.
“Coufal returned to formation because Moyes didn’t have many defensive options, but he gave another performance that showed why he recently lost his balance,” writes London’s Evening Standard on the 30-year-old right-back.
“He’s a hard worker, but too many attacks go up in smoke due to his poor technique. He’s very involved in the game but has little impact as it often lacks quality,” agrees the club’s blog of Claret and Hugh.
According to his analysis, Coufala is much better suited to a four-shoulder system. Coufal, on the other hand, is looking for a slightly more offensive position in the five-back system, which West Ham trained for two-thirds of the game on Sunday.
Souček also did not escape criticism, especially when he made a significant mistake on the goal conceded. His failed kick-off went to the feet of Romain Perraud, who was not stopped by Jarrod Bowen also due to the referee’s awkward position, and the penalty went behind Fabianski.
“He contributed to the goal with an unsuccessful kick-off, tried to be an offensive threat, but didn’t help the team much with the poor quality of passing”, summarizes the Evening Standard the introduction of the Czech Republic captain national team.
Football.London magazine supports Součka. Bowen’s bad foresight is said to have been more responsible for the goal he conceded.
“Soucek fought well and tried to support the attack. His performance was good. Nothing great, but also nothing terrible,” the website ranks the midfielder as average.
However, the Hammers News server goes further in criticizing Czech footballers. He published an article in which he selected two players that Moyes should immediately put on the bench, Součka and Coufal.
“They were incredibly weak. Terrible. And it wasn’t the first time this season,” writes the website. According to Hammers News, Coufal was not convincing on defense and did absolutely nothing offensively. “He is the shadow of the player he was in previous seasons. And the same goes for his countryman,” criticizes Hammers News.
According to the server, Souček slows down the Hammers game considerably.
“His style is bulky, elaborate. He never sets the ball in motion, his first touch with the ball is always directed at the player who passed him”, analyzes the site and cites Souček’s passing statistics.
In the match against Southampton, the former Slav recorded a success rate of almost 64%.
“The fact that the club has not given the Czechs a new contract is fantastic. A swallow does not make a spring. At the moment they should not be in the starting lineup. If we are to have a chance at Liverpool, Moyes has to leave them out,” advises Hammers News. Scottish coach ahead of Wednesday’s clash at Anfield.
If Coufal has to contend with much stronger competition after the summer transfer window and the arrival of German defensive all-rounder Thilo Kehrer, Moyes has so far had no alternative options for Souček.
But even this certainty has weakened in recent weeks. 23-year-old Englishman Flynn Downes had his first chance on the European stage and shone.
He was named man of the match in two consecutive European Conference League games. Fans are already comparing him to their idol, Declan Rice, and are asking Moyes to give him a chance at Soucek’s expense on the English league stage as well.
