West Ham United boss David Moyes signed Said Benrahma from Brentford in October.
In other news…Sky Sports claim three Premier League clubs want to sign 24-year-old West Ham ace on loan
The 25-year-old joined the Hammers on a season-long loan from Brentford in October for £4 million. The east London club have an obligation to buy the Algeria international for £25 million in the summer (Eurosport).
Benrahma is clearly incredibly talented.
He has struggled to establish himself at West Ham. The winger has shown glimpses of his undeniable talent, however.
The Algeria international is still yet to open his goal-scoring account for the Hammers. He has registered two assists, however.
It just seems as though Benrahma is trying too hard to impress David Moyes.
And it is little wonder why.
The Scot has repeatedly told reporters how the winger needs to improve upon his decision making and ball retention.
At the end of December, the West Ham boss told the Evening Standard:
“Retention of the ball would be one of them I would say. We like him, he’s got ability, but retention and making sure that he makes the right decisions more often than not, that is what we’re after. This is a step up for him and this is why if we’re going to be pushing him and judging him so quickly, then I said right from the start and I did with Jarrod, the boys from the Championship, some of them can hit the ground running right away, others need a bit of time. Said, we’re building him up and making him realise the importance of making the correct pass, keeping the ball when it’s not on.”
Moyes is massively missing the point here. What makes maverick play-makers the players they are is their unpredictability. Without it, they lose their magic.
David Moyes repeating Zaha mistake with Said Benrahma?
The Scot has history regarding this kind of man management too. It happened with Wilfried Zaha when he was in charge of Manchester United.
The Red Devils signed the winger from Crystal Palace in January 2013 for around £12 million (The Express). Zaha was one of the hottest prospects in the game at the time.
Moyes played down expectation when the Ivorian moved to Old Trafford, however, telling the Daily Mail:
“I want Wilf to get used to what happens here. The competition is hard. It is just impossible to get all these players a game at the one time. You can only ever play 11. It is important Wilf gets to see the level of the training here, the level of the players and the quality they have got. He is getting better which we are pleased about.”
That shocking man management ended up doing Zaha no favours whatsoever.
It wasn’t long before he returned to Crystal Palace. There is a real feeling that Zaha never fulfileld his true potential, however.
It is probably too simplistic just to blame David Moyes. The Scot undoubtedly played a part in the 28-year-old’s failed Man United stint, however.
Let’s just hope that Said Benrahma doesn’t suffer the same fate as Wilfried Zaha did under Moyes.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
