David Moyes has finally explained what it is he wants from Said Benrahma and it’s the same as most of us are keen to see!
He wants to see him doing what he was bought to do, create goals, score some and become a team player.
There was much discussion about whether Benny was truly a player Moysie wanted when he returned to the club having initially been signed on loan given a medical issue.
Eventually that proved to be just a discussion with the manager finally agreeing to the deal at a cost of around £30 million.
However, that he has become the most subbed player in the Premier League and with words exchanged when he was hooked against Newcastle some have been left wondering where the player really stands with the manager.
And the boss has now been moved to explain per football.london what he wants from the player. That he has needed to spell it out of course begs a question all on its own.
He said: ” I want Said to be a team player, which he is, I want him to make and create goals and score goals and when to pass and dribble and when to keep it. They are the key things for Said.”
Sounds a fair old bit to us and that he has been subbed so frequently suggests that the boss is unhappy with his input despite the player appearing in 20 of 23 games for which he has been available.
His first five games saw him score three goals and provide two assists in five games and on either side of the New Year managed two more goals and an assist in three matches.
Since returning from Afcon there has been no addition to his tally and the question now, following Sunday, is whether Moyes will retain him in a side where he and Lanzini are battling for the same position.
Interesting times!
Benrahma said to Moyes ‘ you sub me every time’ a and he has a valid point, conversely Moyes said about Antonio, ‘ sometimes a player needs to know they are in the team’. Given the poor performances he has produced ie lack of goals and first touch , there is definitely a case of double standards going on. Let Benny have more time on the pitch possibly at the expense of other players and perhaps he will perform. Continually hooking him is not the answer.
100% agree with you, the problem is not Benrahma, it is Moyes. He plays Soucek and Antonio game after game and they have not played well for a long time. Benrahma played far better than either of them at the weekend and was whipped off. Moyes for me is the problem here. Take Antonio and Soucek out of the team and play Benrahma, Fornals, Lanzini, Vlasic and Bowen, most fans see this but he doesnt, the reason he does not is that is his nature. He has done a brilliant job but I really worry going forward whether he is the person to bring us to the next level.
Moyes has already brought us to the next level compared to where we was. Last year Bowen was subbed much more than Benrahma. Bowen never once complained about being the most subbed player he simply had the attitude of working hard and improving himself and making himself hard to drop. This year Bowen has overtaken Benrahma in terms of his contribution so he gets to stay on the pitch. If Benrahma wants to stay on the pitch then he has to contribute more it’s as simple as that. Perhaps Benrahma would like to swap places with Vlasic on the bench?
Benrahma isn’t good enough Bowen is. Dunno why Moyes agreed to him but then he also though Vlasic and Kral were good enough
Agree that DM should be looking at the form of Antonio and Soucek and resting them. He might also look at Vlasic further forward and Fornals in the middle. Benrahma often plays without ‘a picture’ and has no final ball – but DM could address that in training, subbing every game won’t improve his team game.