Transfer Rumour Tomas Soucek

[raiseyoureyebrow4thewin!]

We may as well sell Beto if we are considering this signing. We do not want to block the path for Barry who has already been involved in 3 goals and shown real potential in the buildup play. You have to offset the costs. IMO we should just keep Beto as Soucek could decline dramatically at any moment.

rather have bowen than soucek
if goals are what we wanna pay a premium for

 

[Marius57]

Cant find the lad saying it but if he as said it is pretty much real west ham news so would think real.

Yeah but why would a West Ham itk be itk on what our recruitment board are thinking.

Surely a West Ham itk would only know after we have “tested their resolve”?

 

[Saaby]

I really hope we don’t sign him, it’s such a backward signing from what we have signed already this year.

 

[OlDirtyBluenose]

I really hope we don’t sign him, it’s such a backward signing from what we have signed already this year.

Agree totally, kind of feels inevitable though.

 

[Blue Willy]

Im 50/50 on this. A decent, solid enough player, but maybe a little too old for the money talked about. I dunno, we do need bodies and hes not bad and if we do sign him, he would at least bring a few more goals from mid - hes VERY decent at arriving late for a header (Cahill like). We do have great crosses from wide now, and seem to like our chances at set pieces, so its a close one. All down to the price I guess. £15m would be fair imo, for a goal scoring, tidy and very reliable extra body in mid.

 

[Eggsyblueskin]

What is so dispiriting about this link is that Moyes has been talking about signing players who are good in possession.
This has given me some hope that he understands that the low possession, reactive football that has been his go to style is increasingly difficult to auger success.
Most of the signings suggested that a better iteration of Moyes had arrived.
But Soucek neatly encapsulates all that I have always disliked in the manager.
A player who is resolute and dogged in defence and capable of getting the odd goal against the run of play.
But also a player who is very poor in possession and too slow in progressing the ball . A player who frequently resorts to the hit and hope high balls for our forwards to tire themselves out chasing , running the channels.
He is a quintessential Moyes player.

 

[toffee-L]

We need a defensive minded midfield player who is comfortable at collecting the ball off the defence and progressing it to the much improved attacking options in our team. That profile in no way describes Tomas Soucek.

We all know exactly where Soucek will play if he signs. For all of Moyes’ excellent traits, sticking a big man behind the striker is a comfort blanket to him. I would weep blood if I saw any of our current midfield options on the bench to make room for this lamp post.

 

[Rita_Poon]

McTominay should have been our McTominay last summer

the one man utd reject we weren't linked with. Amazing.

 

[formerly manx toffee]

the one man utd reject we weren't linked with. Amazing.

I think we were linked but was never real

 

[RalphDring]

And so it was written…. Moyes reverting to type with a big lumbering midfielder to dilute the new passing and dribbling skill set at his disposal.

 

[ElGato]

I’m seeing a lot of comparisons to Doucs. I just don’t see that. Completely different players.

They are comparable in that they generally take up the same positions, either more advanced in a 10/8 hybrid role or the box to box role in a double pivot.

Obviously they are very different in terms of what attributes they bring to those roles.

 

[ElGato]

Not the DM we need and is quite slow, also at his age that is dead money. On the flip side he does notch goals and is a unit.

True, but not everyone we sign has to have a massive upside in resale value.

 

[ElGato]

Not sure how I feel if someone deemed surplus to requirements at West Ham is a prime target for us.

What makes you think he is a prime target?

We're two days out from the window closing and we're weighing up whether to make him our 9th or 10th signing of the summer. Doesn't sound very prime to me

Also I think Potter wants to keep him around but rumours are is that he wants to leave. Not sure he is 'surplus to requirements' in that regard either. If he was so surplus, why do they keep playing him?

 

[Eggsyblueskin]

What makes you think he is a prime target?

We're two days out from the window closing and we're weighing up whether to make him our 9th or 10th signing of the summer. Doesn't sound very prime to me

Also I think Potter wants to keep him around but rumours are is that he wants to leave. Not sure he is 'surplus to requirements' in that regard either. If he was so surplus, why do they keep playing him?

I think piecing together a possible narrative from the rumours that have appeared over the window , Moyes approached Soucek earlier in the window but Soucek ( who is happily settled and liked by W. Ham supporters) was reluctant to move and was prepared to stay and fight for his place.
Recently however they have signed players more aligned with Potter’s style and Soucek has become more receptive to a move .
Hence what is possibly our second approach , this time though the player wants the move.

 

[Clarky cat]

Soucek has a family with young children settled in London, where he wants to stay. Exwesthamemployee is more reliable than most for West Ham news but he’s not infallible. I personally don’t see this as a reliable link whatsoever, it’s as lazy as the Coufal rumours which lots of people convinced themselves was definitely happening.