Nuno says ‘nightmare’ Tomas Soucek is a dream to manage after West Ham win
By Andy Sims, PA
Nuno Espirito Santo is glad to have “nightmare” Tomas Soucek playing for his team rather than against him after the Czech midfielder inspired West Ham to a 3-2 win over Burnley.
Soucek climbed off the bench to score for the second match running, and created a third for Kyle Walker-Peters, as the Hammers made it back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since February.
“I’ve played Thomas, I’ve played West Ham, many times and every time I was analysing it, it was a nightmare,” said West Ham boss Nuno.
“How do you control Thomas getting in the box. He recognises the space and he has belief that not many players have. So good.
“He’s just made 250 appearances for the club, it’s huge. You cannot have anything else but respect and love for Tomas.”
Another weekend meant another protest by West Ham’s fans against the club’s board, this time a good few thousand marching from Stratford station along the miserable service road to the stadium.
Their mood worsened when Burnley took the lead through Zian Flemming’s header, but Callum Wilson nodded West Ham level at half-time.
In the second half Soucek came on for Freddie Potts, who had to go off with a dead leg, and was on hand to bundle the ball home at the far post after Martin Dubravka palmed out a Lucas Paqueta shot.
It was Soucek’s long-range drive which Dubravka also failed to deal with, allowing Kyle Walker-Peters – another sub – to slide in the third.
Former Hammers youngster Josh Cullen pulled one back after a dreadful handling error from Hammers keeper Alphonse Areola, but it was too late for a comeback.
Scott Parker admitted it was a missed opportunity for the Clarets, who could have climbed six points clear of the relegation zone with a win but are now level with 18th-placed West Ham.
“I don’t know whether it’s harsh,” said Parker. “My feeling is we were exceptional at start of the game, showed maturity, quality, got our noses in front with a well-worked goal.
“But then we played the game the way West Ham wanted. A basketball match, counter-attacks, wide open spaces, and we switched off.
“If you switch off for one second there’s every chance the ball will end up in your net. It’s something we’ve got to fix.
“I can praise how well we did and what a good side we looked but we’re coming away with a loss. This is a big league, a big man league and we need to learn from that quickly. It’s a massive opportunity missed.”
