Carlos Soler wasn’t outstanding during his substitute appearance for West Ham against Brentford yesterday. However, there were enough glimpses of his potential to suggest he might be an asset for Julen Lopetegui.
I have always viewed Soler as Lucas Paquetá’s replacement in case the worst happened and the Brazilian received an FA ban for betting breaches. In many respects an ‘in emergency break glass’ solution rather than a bona fide first teamer. However, Soler’s promotion to the starting XI could be hastened by Paquetá’s poor form.
We all know the reasons why West Ham’s playmaker has gone off the boil, but he seems to retain the ability to produce a moment of genius that could unlock the opposition. Unfortunately Paquetá appears to be a shadow of his former self, and while he did have some involvement in Tomáš Souček’s goal against Brentford, Julen Lopetegui was right to substitute him.
Soler, by contrast, displayed some nice touches and decent commitment to the game without the weight of the world on his shoulders. One would expect a midfielder who has graced the Spanish national team and represented money-bags PSG to have some ability, and he certainly appears to be a tidy player.
Above all else, Lopetegui probably knows what he can expect from Soler, which can’t be said for Paquetá.