Tomas Soucek is proving his doubters wrong at West Ham.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Many feared that the Hammers would struggle when they sold Declan Rice to Arsenal for \u00a3100million in July.<\/p>\n
The sale funded an influx of fresh midfielders, with the Czech international suggested as the man to make way for the new arrivals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead, his rediscovered goalscoring touch is proving vital. Ahead of West Ham\u2019s Europa League tie at Backa Topola this evening, we examine Soucek\u2019s revival.<\/p>\n
Late winners<\/h2>\n
Soucek scored a 91st-minute winner last Saturday that saw West Ham claim a 2-1 comeback victory at Burnley.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was the second successive game in which he had made a crucial late contribution, having found the net to seal a 3-2 triumph over Nottingham Forest prior to the international break.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After the win against the Clarets, Soucek spoke about how he had inspired his team-mates.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cAt half-time, the boys weren\u2019t happy and the manager wasn\u2019t happy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were playing very slowly, then we came out and within a few minutes we\u2019d conceded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a moment when Burnley had a corner and I just said to the others, \u2018Come on guys, we need to do better\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe managed that and because of our spirit and belief, we won all three points.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n After Rice departed, West Ham brought in Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse and Mohammed Kudus to bolster their options in the middle of the park.\u00a0<\/p>\n David Moyes has since been trying to find the right midfield balance, with a squad that also includes the attacking talents of Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma and Lucas Paqueta.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some West Ham fans suggested that it should be Soucek sacrificed due to his lack of technical quality but after the Burnley win, Moyes praised his Czech talent.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cIt\u2019s difficult because we\u2019re trying to get the right blend to the team and get the right players in.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBut we\u2019re also trying to get the players who we think are in form into the team and playing in form.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Tomas is certainly in form. If it\u2019s the goals you\u2019re talking about, he has six this season already, so that alone is a really good starting point.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI thought when he got that chance, he took it like somebody who is in a confident mode of scoring. He\u2019s doing great.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Soucek has scored six times this season in 18 games, which is a reminder of the goalscoring form that he initially showed when he joined West Ham.\u00a0<\/p>\n In his first full season at the club in 2020-21, the rangy midfielder scored 10 times from 38 Premier League appearances.\u00a0<\/p>\n It was only when Rice was freed to play a more attacking role and Soucek took on more defensive duties, that the goals dried up.\u00a0<\/p>\n With the England star now gone, the Slavia Prague academy graduate is back doing what he does best with Moyes playing him just behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation in the last two games.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 28-year-old\u2019s heading ability will always make him a threat and the Irons now have the sort of creative players that can serve up regular opportunities.\u00a0<\/p>\n There is plenty of competition for places at the London Stadium but while Soucek is scoring, he deserves his spot alongside some of his more glamorous team-mates.<\/p>\n![\"Tomas](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/bf072c8c-9faa-4efe-8ad8-55592573c0ab.png\")
Moyes praise<\/h2>\n
Goal threat<\/h2>\n
![\"Tomas](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/812421d4-dfe9-4a64-9c47-d378f5d0c75f.jpg\")