David Moyes says he has spoken to West Ham star Lucas Paqueta over his tunnel storm-off and explained his thinking.
West Ham were held to a frustrating and damaging draw at home by Aston Villa on Sunday and everyone at the club is starting to get very tetchy indeed.
Taking just a point from a must-win home game against a team in no man’s land with little to play for may have moved West Ham out of the relegation zone.
But the wider consequences will become abundantly clear this week. Because, barring the unlikely event that 10 results all go West Ham’s way, the Hammers will likely end up back in the bottom three – and will perhaps even hit rock bottom – heading into the international break.
When you are down fighting relegation, you need everyone pulling in the same direction.
So the last thing anyone connected with West Ham wanted to see was record signing Paqueta walk straight down the tunnel after being substituted in the 77th minute.
Paqueta returned to the bench a few minutes later with reports that someone went and told the Brazilian to do so.
There were claims the West Ham midfielder had gone to use the toilet.
But he was clearly angry at having been subbed, shaking his head and not greeting his replacement Pablo Fornals or manager Moyes as he trudged off.
Now the manager has confirmed the obvious – that the ex Lyon man did storm off unhappy at being subbed.
Moyes says he has spoken to West Ham star Paqueta over his tunnel storm-off and explained his thinking.
David Moyes says he has spoken to West Ham star Lucas Paqueta over tunnel storm-off and explained his thinking
“He wanted to stay on, which I understand, but I’ve told him and I explained to him (my reasons),” Moyes said in his post-match presser when asked whether Paqueta had explained why he went straight down the tunnel after being subbed (Football.London).
“The biggest thing was I didn’t want him to get sent off, but secondly, I don’t want him to get sent off because then he’d be suspended for future games, we need him.
“I was getting to the stage of the game where maybe fresh legs like Pablo and Maxi Cornet would continue to run in behind them if we got the chances. That was the thinking behind it.”
Paqueta was having one of his better games for West Ham, hence his obvious frustration.
But Moyes has allowed complacency to creep in this season and he cannot afford to let petulance jeopardise this team too.