West Ham’s Europa League dream took a significant hit with the 2-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen. While the gulf in quality was evident, Joe Cole singled out Lucas Paqueta for particular criticism.
While praising the team’s game plan for most of the match, Cole believes West Ham lacked ambition in the final stages, failing to truly threaten Leverkusen. He acknowledged Leverkusen’s clear superiority but felt the Hammers could have caused more problems up front.
Michail Antonio received plaudits for his performance, but according to Cole, most other West Ham players failed to impress.
Cole’s main target for criticism is Lucas Paqueta. He slammed Paqueta for picking up a “silly yellow card” in the first half, a reckless move that forced him to play cautiously for the rest of the game and ultimately led to his suspension for the second leg.
Cole also lamented Paqueta’s decision-making, particularly his tendency to hold onto the ball for too long in attacking areas. He argued that Paqueta’s indiscipline and underwhelming performance ultimately let the team down. Is the probable City transfer on his mind?
The defeat was no surprise, but with Paqueta suspended and the team facing an uphill battle, the Hammers must find a way to overcome a significant deficit in the return leg.
Agree with you about Paqueta, Simon. But his mate, Emerson, also got booked and he too will be suspended for the 2nd leg. We had two players at risk of suspension and they duly obliged! When you bring the already suspended Alvarez into the conversation as well, you wonder why there is a lack of discipline with Moyes’ Boys. I can’t see us doing much better in the return leg at London Stadium and the pressure on Moyes will intensify if we fail to make the semis of the Europa League.