West Ham United ace Said Benrahma says he feels at his best when the shackles are off.
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It is fair to say Benrahma’s time at West Ham so far has been something of an anti-climax.
Benrahma finds himself a bit-part player under David Moyes who has elected to ease the £30m man in gently.
After 20 appearances the 25-year-old is yet to score his first goal for West Ham.
West Ham yet to see best of Benrahma as Moyes takes taskmaster approach
Moyes has been strict with Benrahma. The Scot has demanded he do more defensively, be more efficient with the ball and warned he must stop trying to force that first goal.
The Algerian was famous for his audacious skill and moments in games – particularly for Brentford – which went viral online.
But he is having to earn his West Ham stripes with hard graft.
It takes a brave man to question Moyes given the amazing turnaround he has overseen at the London Stadium.
Some fans have bemoaned Benrahma’s lack of game time, though. Many West Ham supporters feel his skills are not being utilised as yet.
Hammers ace says he feels at his best when he is ‘off the leash’
Now in a fascinating and wide-ranging interview with Gaffer Benrahma has admitted himself he feels at his best and most confident when he is ‘off the leash’.
“I knew how to do certain things but in a game I would always tell myself ‘no’,” Benrahma told Gaffer.
“I was afraid, I felt on a leash. I’d always overthink, ‘do I try a pass here?’
“But about three years ago when I was at Chateauroux, that’s where I fully realised my abilities. I really became conscious of my qualities and it was where I figured out the areas I was good at.
“I was able to develop those and from then on it became more relaxed, instinctive.
“Since I’ve been in England and when I played at Chateauroux I’ve had that freedom and it makes you more confident. You become more aware of your abilities, you start telling yourself ‘I can do this.’ Then you start repeating them, becoming more consistent, and the next time it becomes easier.”
The West Ham playmaker also opened up on his late father’s massive influence on his career and life.
And Benrahma explains how his dad’s gentle approach always got the best out of him.
“He always really believed in me and let me just enjoy myself,” Benrahma told Gaffer.
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“He knew I loved football more than anything. He’d support me but it wasn’t like ‘do this’ or ‘do that’. He just let me enjoy it, ‘play your football’. When I misbehaved he always told me off but he knew how to do it with tenderness, in a way I could understand. Otherwise he gave me total freedom, like ‘enjoy yourself’, just play, if you succeed or not it doesn’t matter as long as you enjoy it. He was always there, and it’s a beautiful thing.
“I’m not saying this because he was my dad, but he was perfect. He was a real example. Every day I think about him and it’s hard. It’s hard because he gave me so much, and he knew how to speak to me and there’s no one better, apart from my mum. But without him, I’ve sort of lost my bearings. He knew how to put things to me, he was someone who knew how to speak with gentleness in a way that always made you understand and that’s what I’ll miss the most.”
Perhaps Moyes could learn a lot about how to coax the best form out of Benrahma from hearing his interview with Gaffer.
Certainly from the quotes we have seen from Moyes in public, the Hammers manager appears to have taken a hardline stance with Benrahma.
But it seems he may respond better to a more personal, softly, softly approach.
Man management is so important in the modern game. And every player responds in different ways to different methods.
With Michail Antonio and Declan Rice out for the foreseeable future, West Ham need Benrahma to catch fire for the run-in.
Maybe Moyes needs to let him off the leash a bit to get him back to his instinctive best.
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