Tim Sherwood has slammed West Ham star Lucas Paqueta but says David Moyes is to blame for his shoe-horning ways.
It’s safe to say it’s been West Ham’s worst week of the season after back-to-back defeats to Aston Villa and Olympiacos.
Both tough assignments on paper and both failed to give West Ham a timely reminder there is plenty of work to do if they want to be a team capable of seriously competing.
Many fans feel David Moyes got his team selection and approach for both games all wrong.
Tim Sherwood slams West Ham star Lucas Paqueta but says David Moyes is to blame for his shoe-horning ways
Supporters have been urging the Scot to give Mohammed Kudus that elusive first Premier League start.
Instead Moyes continues to push his star player Lucas Paqueta out to the left to accommodate his three-man central midfield of Tomas Soucek, Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse while persevering with Michail Antonio up top.
Against Villa, Paqueta’s brilliance on the ball was often wasted out wide or from far too deep. And it also means his risk-taking on the ball put the Hammers in very real danger with the Brazilian partly at fault for two goals.
And it’s not only West Ham fans who have been voicing their frustrations.
Paqueta has to do better but so does Moyes says Sherwood
Tim Sherwood has slammed West Ham star Paqueta but says Moyes is to blame for his shoe-horning ways.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday, Sherwood says Paqueta cost his team last time out in the Premier League. But he feels West Ham’s Brazilian magnifico is being played out of position by Moyes.
“I watched that game and for me Paqueta has to do better,” Sherwood said.
“He’s being asked to play in a position where sometimes you have to be responsible on the ball and he’s got so much skill, I mean he’s a very, very good player, but we need to get him on the ball in the correct areas of the field in the final third, in and around the opposition box so he can open them up with passes, score goals.
‘Paqueta wasted when shunted out wide’
“But he’s found himself in responsible areas.
“He’s let Douglas Luiz run off the back of him for the first goal, second one he gives the back-pass where (Esri) Konsa brings (the penalty).
“It’s not good enough. Moyesy will point that out to him. But I would be putting him in a position where you can build the team around him, maybe a little bit central further up the field.”
Sherwood’s fellow panelist Clinton Morrison agreed with Sherwood and also urged Moyes to play Paqueta just off the striker with a more natural winger out wide.
READ ALSO
West Ham board confidant’s big update on delicate Paqueta situation.
Spiky Moyes takes exception to being questioned on two key matters.
Sensational claim made about incident behind the scenes at West Ham.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
