West Ham United’s defeat to Olympiacos was a real wake-up call for the club as a whole, and it was a stark reminder just how much we miss one player in particular.
Olympiacos beat West Ham 2-1 in the Europa League on Thursday night and it really was a shambolic showing from everyone involved.
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Hammers boss David Moyes would have been absolutely furious with his side’s performance on Thursday night, but he was partly to blame for it in all fairness.
He selected a really weak side – far too weak for a tough away game in the Europa League and we paid the price.
Kurt Zouma was one of the players who sat the game out, and it was painfully obvious to see just how much we missed the 29-year-old.
The Frenchman joined West Ham from Chelsea in the summer of 2021 for around £30 million (Daily Mail), and he has gone on to establish himself as a vital player for Moyes’s side.
He was installed as club captain at the start of this season, and he seems to have found a new level entirely with the added responsibility.
However, the worrying thing for us is just how much we missed him on Thursday night, and it’s something that Moyes must address asap…
Olympiacos shocker proved how much West Ham miss 29-year-old when he doesn’t play
Chelsea’s own website described Zouma as an ‘incredible’ defender when he was at Stamford Bridge, and they’re not wrong.
The 6ft 3in powerhouse has been an absolute rock at the back for the Hammers this season. He is a leader in every sense, and we missed him badly on Thursday.
The worry for Moyes is that Zouma is now on the wrong side of 29 and he’s incredibly injury prone.
So with that in mind, the Scot has to go out and sign a younger central defender to provide cover for the former Chelsea man.
Someone like Bayer Leverkusen ace Odilon Kossounou would be the perfect option for the Hammers, but he certainly won’t come cheap.
The thing is, replacing Zouma will be an expensive task. He still has five or six years left playing at the highest level, but will his knee hold out that long? I’m not so sure.
West Ham’s defeat to Olympiacos on Thursday was a real wake-up call for Moyes and the club’s owners of just how reliant we are on Kurt. And that needs to change going forward.
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