Ever since he returned for his second stint at West Ham, David Moyes hasn’t done much wrong at the London Stadium, to say the least.
The 58-year-old has dragged the Hammers from the jaws of relegation to the heights of the Europa League, and in some style.
However, the Scot has made an odd change this season, which has led to one player struggling significantly.
David Moyes is hindering Tomas Soucek
Last season, Tomas Soucek took the Premier League by storm, scoring ten goals in 38 appearances as he started every game in England’s top-flight.
However, the £18m man was strangely given a different role this term, to allow Declan Rice the chance to venture forward more regularly.
As quoted by Football London, Moyes even admitted that his tactical switch may have caused Soucek to struggle “a wee bit” this season.
So far, the Czech Republic international has only scored two goals in 17 Premier League appearances, while also providing just one assist.
Has the change paid off for Declan Rice?
You could perhaps defend Moyes for doing what he did if Declan Rice started to find the back of the net more often.
However, the England international has one Premier League goal this term, so now there’s no goal threat coming from West Ham’s midfield.
Why did Moyes tinker with something that wasn’t broken?
Rice has never been a goalscorer, but he is among Europe’s best at tackling opponents and intercepting passes.
Soucek isn’t the best defender, but he excels at arriving late in the box to score.
Why Moyes swapped their roles around is a mystery to us, and it’s led to the demise of a player who was among the Premier League’s best last season.
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