The International break is always a fraught one for domestic managers and this most recent one looks as if it is going to be "MOYES' NEMESIS!' BOTH Mikey Antonio and Tomy Soucek have picked up injuries that will make them unavailable for the next Premier League game against Burnley AND most likely the crucial derby games against Palace, Tottinghmam and Fulham!
There are also important Europa League games against TSC and Freiburg that the duo could well miss, crisis, what crisis? Eventually the lack of cover in the forwards positions was ALWAYS going to come and 'bite Hammers arse' and that is exactly what has happened!
'Uncle' Danny Ings is absolutely a square peg in a round hole when it comes to filling in for Antonio, who despite his poor run of form recently is still far and away a better 'outlet' for a team that plays 'Moyes Ball'. The only vague positivity surrounding the situation is that Divin Mubama might FINALLY get a chance to show what he is made of!
There are those who have been highly critical of Soucek this season, a player who was 'scarificed' last season in order to keep Declan Rice at the club. Big Tom has now returned to being the player he once was, as his goal tally will testify to so far, so losing him even for a few games is going to be a drain on Moyes' self-imposed limited resources.
The need to get involved in the January window has suddenly cranked up. hopefully the 'Steidten' will have a plan in place to rectify past transfer misdemeanours! - Ed
Comments
Soucek
Is as we all know marmite to fans and i think that is very unfair when he has always given his all for the shirt. Yes i accept he had such a bad run of form and could barely pass the ball two feet without finding an opponent but he was constantly played out of position to accommodate Rice and whilst not setting the world on fire this season his goal touch has come back i wonder why! so for me Soucek will be a bigger miss than Antonio who is so off his game how he gets picked is ridiculous.
So now we have a striker crisis all of the managers own making so i do not feel sorry for him one bit Bowen can play there but better when he is on the wing cutting in Kudus can play there also so how about letting them rotate that position as the game goes on putting questions in the defenders mind because Ings is most certainly not the answer in the formation Mogadon plays and Mubama well Moyes may have to bite his lip and take a risk.
I reckon it's simple H G
I reckon it's simple H G ,your either premiership material or your not,ain't no middle ground, Slowchec is definitely championship ,though he might struggle there with the pace of the games.
Ings COULD be the answer
But Moyes would have to bite the bullet and play to his strengths. I'm really fed up with the bile we have been giving our strikers who can't score when it's purely down to one common denominator. Moyes.
It wouldn't surprise me if Ings goes in January and scores for fun again at his new club just like Haller and Scamacca although stupidly, we have given Ings a nice retirement contract that will be difficult to match
African Nations
We are also losing key players in the new year for what could be 5 to 6 weeks and during that time I'm sure both players would have played a part of the Moyes thinking.