West Ham man’s downfall to spiral under Nuno Espirito Santo after ‘clumsy’ display
Nuno Espirito Santo is quickly having to learn which players he can depend on to get West Ham out of their current mess.
West Ham lost 2-0 to Arsenal ahead of the international break to fall into the Premier League relegation zone, leaving them just two points above bottom-place Wolves, who are yet to win a game.
Football Insider understands that Jarrod Bowen could be tempted by a West Ham exit should the current situation continue, which would be a major blow for the entire club.
In just two games as manager so far, Nuno proved himself up against an in-form Everton team before being squashed by Mikel Arteta and his Gunners, and one player has been nowhere to be seen.
Tomas Soucek serves his three-game suspension
Tomas Soucek picked up a red card against Tottenham, ruling him out of games against Crystal Palace, Everton, and Arsenal, but it might not be as simple as throwing him straight back into the lineup.
Soucek was linked with a move to Everton in the summer, linking back up with his former manager David Moyes, and he has seriously struggled to regain any form at the London Stadium.
Due to his suspension, Nuno has seen very little of the midfielder in action, and if he was keeping an eye during the international break, his first impression will not be very positive either.
| Tomas Soucek vs Croatia | Stats |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Accurate passes | 76% (13/17) |
| Shooting accuracy | 0% (0/2) |
| Ground duels won | 40% (2/5) |
| Aerial duels won | 20% (1/5) |
| Fouls committed | 2 |
Despite an impressive result for Czechia against Croatia, Soucek always looked one step behind the opposition, and those watching the game closely certainly agree.
Czechia media hit out at Soucek against Croatia
Reporting on the game, Fotbal Zpravy wrote: “It is hard not to notice the performance decline he has experienced in the last year. He looked clumsy on the pitch and was late to the ball several times because of it.
“He and Lukáš Červa lack the necessary creativity, and the stoppers used them minimally during the pass. His comparison of touches with the ball compared to Modric is also interesting. The Czech midfielder lost overwhelmingly in this regard.”
The midfielder was only noticeable against Croatia for all the wrong reasons, and even despite limited options for Nuno back in East London, he is unlikely to make a positive impact for the Hammers anytime soon.