A new hashtag is trending on social media amongst West Ham fans and that is #FreeBenramha
The message is aimed at David Moyes who supporters think should play the on loan Algerian midfielder.
However, the online campaign is likely to fall on deaf ears with the manager outlining his issue with the player
Talking to reporters after the Brighton game Moyes pinpointed the reasons why he wasn’t playing Benrahma.
And unless he is being more secretive than ever one can only imagine that the bench will be the place for the player this evening.
“Retention of the ball would be one of them, I would say, We like him, he has ability, but retention of the ball and making the right decisions more often than not, that’s what we are after.
“This is a step up for him, this is why if we are going to be pushing him, and I said right at the start, and I said this with Jarrod [Bowen] and Tomas [Soucek], I just know the boys from the Championship can come in and hit the ground right away, others need time to settle.
“We are building him up and making sure he realises the importance of making the correct pass, keeping the ball when it’s not on because getting the ball back off Premier League teams is not easy.
“I’m sure he is [frustrated] but he’s also come into a side that in the main has been playing very well so from that point of view he will need to wait like everybody else. There are other players waiting to get in the team as well.”
It seems more likely that Lanzimi will be paired with Haller up front with the boss making it clear that Antonio is unlikely to make it.
The striker is well on his way back to fitness but the club’s medics are unready to make any risky decision and once again he seems sure to be watching on from the stands.
Benrhama was and is a defensive liability. Fornals understood more quickly than Anderson, and to some extent Lanzini, that WHU cannot afford the luxury of one-way players. Fornals is still learning the defensive role but his willingness and work rate are incomparable.
The smile Fornals flashed in response to Ben Johnson’s goal celebration says it all – team first.
Benrhama has a role, the size of which is ultimately up to him.
Is Antonio ever going to play again?
It is now getting ridiculous how long he is out
Why is it ridiculous – would you like to risk him then?
Agree with others on this too and won’t repeat what they’ve said because it’s spot on. The caveat is that he needs to be given some game time against PL opposition in order to develop that side of his game. He should also be played in a role where he is expected to try certain things to make things happen. You can’t expect Benrahma to play like Noble, nor would you want him to, with constant backwards and sideways passing. You play him in a role where he is between the lines and has the options to either beat his man, create a chance with a key pass or hit the target with a shot. All creative players like Benrahma give the ball away lots in the early parts of their PL career, Sterling, Mane, Salah and Mahrez to name a few. They have developed now but also have 10 other quality players making runs and showing for the ball
Absolute crap, how many times does Noble, Haller, Masuaka, Lanzini give the ball away…. Give the lad a chance, we need fresh legs ASAP.. Rather go out there fighting, go on the front foot… I would rather lose 4-2 than 1-0 to be honest with this pathetic, negative approach Moyes used as in Brighton game.. Haller out, Noble out,… let’s try Yarmelenko, Lanzini /Behnrahma.. for pity sake… Let’s take the game to the opposition…. We can slide down into bottom six so quickly it’s frightening… Watch this space…
I happen to agree with Moyes too. Although i think Benrahma has got great skill there have been times in the games I’ve watched with him on the pitch that he has indeed given the ball away in dangerous areas. He also hasn’t passed when in attacking positions when players have been open, trying to shoot instead (Leeds away was a game he was particularly guilty of this in). For all of Moyes faults, many that fans on this site have picked up on recently, i really like the fact that it’s very much his way or the highway. One of his mantras is ‘If you don’t run, you don’t play’ and it looks like another is ‘If you give the ball away in dangerous areas, you don’t play’.
I know Haller is guilty of this too (again, Leeds away amongst many others) but Moyes has few options to replace him with, whereas Benrahma has competition.
To me, Moyes’ words, on this point, certainly ring true
Everyone likes a tricky entertaining player but not if they keep giving the ball away leading to dangerous counterattacks by the opposition. Premier league opposition will pounce on a player like that very quickly. You can see by the recent starting eleven poll on here that most fans wouldn’t part benrahma in their starting eleven just yet. As always though it is the moaning minority that get pandered to by the media and get heard the loudest.