West Ham’s lack of leadership on the pitch has been lamented since Graham Potter shipped out the core of the senior players a season ago.
Jarrod Bowen’s style has never been the most demonstrative and since Aaron Cresswell, the former vice captain left, there’s been something of a vacuum.
When the Irons were condemned to relegation and the second division then the lack of experience for a Championship campaign was aways going to be a problem as sixteen players departed.
With worse to come in the summer.
Tomas Soucek sustained ankle ligament damage at the World Cup which has ruled him out since.
Consequently the Hammers started this season in the same, fragile manner that did for them a year ago and many lamented the absence of senior players in the dressing room.
One of the first to pledge his future to the Hammers after relegation was confirmed, Tornado Tom’s 250-plus appearances in Claret and Blue has made him a massive steadying influence in the centre of the pitch, which has been sorely missed when West Ham have looked under pressure this season.
Soucek scored for West Ham in the behind-closed-doors friendly, annoucing his return to fitness
The good news is that Soucek is back.
In a behind closed doors practise match arranged for earlier today to develop the fitness of a side mid-international break, Soucek played 65 minutes in West Ham’s midfield – and scored to boot – against Wycombe Wanderers, as relayed by Standard journalist Sam Tabuteau:
Perfect timing. Ready to be used as West Ham’s “Plan B” when in need of midfield strengthening or more set – piece goal threat, Soucek offers something very different from Engels and Mukasa in the centre of the park and even sat on the bench is a big boost for Nuno going into the serious middle part of the season.
Was that Jethro Medine in one of the photos of the game on the WHUFC website?
Who else was in the team was this a confidence booster?
Where was Bowen and Taty?