Naughty boy Alvarez wants to stay off the naughty step
Following the 1-1 draw against Aston Villa, West Ham midfielder Edson Alvarez spoke to the clubs website about a tricky few days for the Mexican. The match saw two Hammers goals disallowed by VAR, adding to the disappointment. However, Alvarez’s booking which led to a two game ban may well have been the worst news of the day.
Since his arrival from Ajax last summer, Alvarez has won over fans with his strong work ethic, tackling prowess, and contributions in attack. He has effectively filled the void left by the absence of the world-class Declan Rice.
Alvarez’s importance to the team is undeniable, with his absence being keenly felt in crucial games. His absence for three consecutive matches (Newcastle, Spurs & Freiburg) will undoubtedly impact the club’s fortunes this season.
Naughty boy Alvarez wants to stay off the naughty step in future
Whilst acknowledging the disappointment of the draw and the disallowed goals, Alvarez highlighted the positives of the team’s performance against a formidable opponent.
One area for improvement, as noted by Alvarez on the West Ham official site, is his tendency to accumulate yellow cards. He recognises the need to minimize these infractions to avoid potential suspensions.
Alvarez said; “Everyone draws their own conclusions [on their own performances] and I am very calm with my performance. I know that I am doing the best I can, I know that I can still give more and obviously the yellow I picked up is something I have to learn, it is something that I have to improve on.”
With 10 yellow cards this season, Alvarez ranks second in the “bad boy” table behind Fulham’s Joao Palhinha. The irony is that West Ham turned their attentions to Alvarez following two failed bids for the Fulham midfielder.
The club need to invest in some anger management classes for him. He needs to learn how to control his reactions which are the only thing ruining his game. He gets booked either for reacting angrily to an opponent’s actions and rushing in, or the ref’s actions, or he ridiculously slides in on an opponent when he doesn’t need to, because of something that’s just happened. The red mist descends.
I suspect it’s harder to rid mental demons than physical ones, but that’s how he improves.