Moyes admits where it went wrong with Soucek
David Moyes has all but admitted that his tactics were responsible for Tomas Soucek’s poor form last season. The West Ham manager also confirmed what many suspected – that Soucek struggled while Moyes gave more freedom to Declan Rice.
I have some sympathy for Moyes on this occasion. He was clearly trying to accommodate Declan as best he could whilst in the background, the club tried to secure him to a new deal. Considering how poorly the midfield has functioned during the last three games, it’s easy to see why Declan was given the license to express himself.
Last season, in particular, Soucek performed poorly. In two games last campaign, the Czech registered just 8 and 11 passes, respectively. However, now ‘Big Sou’ is back to his goal-scoring best, and Moyes is clearly delighted
“He just did not reach his usual level, he thought, last season,” Moyes said. “We attempted to get Declan to get a little bit further forward at times and make it into the box and show his goal-scoring capabilities. It might have had an effect on Tomas. We didn’t do quite as well on set-pieces last season, and Tomas plays a big part in that.”
“We couldn’t just mention Tomas and not mention James Ward-Prowse as well. He’s probably supplied a couple of his goals from corner kicks. Tom’s got himself forward, timed his runs into the box, and notched himself some goals”.
