Boss David Moyes must stop with the public Lucas Paqueta snipes or he could ruin the new West Ham star like Said Benrahma.
When West Ham signed Benrahma the excitement among Hammers fans was palpable.
Two years on, fleeting glimpses of supreme quality are counteracted by an equal dose of frustration – not just among supporters but the player and his manager too.
Benrahma divides opinion among Hammers fans. And the Algerian playmaker appears to face a very bleak future at West Ham under Moyes.
He has barely had a look in this season, particularly of late, and Maxwel Cornet started ahead of him against Wolves.
When the Ivory Coast international was forced off injured after just 34 minutes of his first Premier League start, many assumed Moyes would go like-for-like and bring on Benrahma.
But he elected to replace Cornet with Pablo Fornals instead.
Moyes has always taken a hard line, taskmaster approach to managing Benrahma. And the pair had a touchline row when Benrahma was seen asking ‘why always me?’ following his substitution against Newcastle last season.
The Scot has been criticised by fans and journalists for his handling of the 27-year-old.
Football journalist Paul Brown recently told Give Me Sport that he’s been surprised by Moyes’s treatment of Benrahma so far this season.
The winger’s lack of West Ham game time has cost him his place in the Algeria squad.
Many of Benrahma’s fans point to the fact he has created more chances than anyone else in the West Ham team this season (Fotmob).
When Benrahma is given a chance – as he was in the game against Anderlecht last Thursday – he looks like a player bereft of the kind of confidence a skilful playmaker thrives on.
Many West Ham fans argue that is of Moyes’ making. Wanting your players to work hard for the team is one thing.
But Moyes has always seemed to use more stick than carrot with Benrahma during his time at the London Stadium.
Now West Ham have Brazil international star Paqueta, a player who – like Benrahma – plays on the edge and comes alive when he has the freedom to express himself and try things.
Paqueta has already showed he is also willing to graft for the team. But to get the kind of assists he has in the last two West Ham wins, Paqueta has to feel that he can try passes that may not always come off.
What he doesn’t need is his manager highlighting the fact he is giving the ball away when he speaks to the press.
Boss Moyes must stop with the public Paqueta snipes or he could ruin the new West Ham star like Benrahma.
For every sublime assist that perhaps no other West Ham player would see or be able to pull off, Paqueta may indeed give the ball away five times.
But the end result will always be well worth it over the course of a season.
Moyes, though, has elected to highlight very publicly already that Paqueta is giving the ball away more often than he would like.
And the Scot said after the game last weekend that ‘there are bits I like and some bits I don’t like’ about Paqueta’s play.
As West Ham’s record signing, there is already enough pressure on Paqueta’s shoulders.
Yes we want a manager who is honest and doesn’t try to kid anyone on. But at the same time when did you ever hear Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger publicly highlight their players’ faults.
Indeed when do you ever hear Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp do anything like that. They undoubtedly save that for behind closed doors.
They certainly wouldn’t highlight it in the press. It is very much a Jose Mourinho trait.
And Moyes must stop with the perfectionist snipes on Paqueta or he runs the risk of clipping his new man’s wings before he can truly get flying in a West Ham shirt.
Paqueta should be going on that pitch with the freedom to express himself and not be too afraid to try something for fear of being castigated by his manager for giving the ball away.
Benrahma is a shadow of the player who lit up that Brentford team.
And the same cannot be allowed to happen to our new star man.
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