West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek is set to make his return from suspension after the international break, with stats revealing how key he remains to the Hammers’ squad.
Tomas Soucek Set For West Ham Return After Ban
Having served a three-match ban following his red card in the 3-0 defeat by Tottenham last month, Tomas Soucek is set to make his return for West Ham after October’s internationals.
Since the derby day defeat to Spurs, the Hammers have lost 2-1 and 2-0 to Crystal Palace and Arsenal and have drawn 1-1 away at Everton, once again highlighting Soucek’s importance.
During that time too, the East London club opted to part ways with Graham Potter.
Former Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has been appointed in his place.
Ex-Hammers boss Slaven Bilic had also been tipped for the role. After missing out on the job though, reports suggest that Bilic cancelled his Monday night football appearance on Sky Sports.
Unable to feature for the first team, Soucek dropped down to the U21s squad to maintain his fitness levels, featuring for 90 minutes in a 3-1 loss to Reading in the EFL Trophy last Tuesday.
He will now link up with Ivan Hasek’s Czech Republic squad for their World Cup qualifying double header against group leaders Croatia and third place Faroe Islands.
The defensive midfielder, who captains his country, should pick up some more valuable minutes while away ahead of his side’s home clash against Brentford on 20 October.
Why West Ham Managers Should Stop Trying to Replace Soucek
If Soucek features against the Bees upon his return from the internationals, he will have played under three different managers at the London Stadium since the start of the 2024-25 season.
Those three are, of course, Julen Lopetegui, Potter and Espirito Santo.
During that time, Soucek has failed to start in just 12 Premier League matches.
He wasn’t selected to start in those games for a variety of reasons, the most recent being due to suspension, however he has previously been excluded from the lineup for tactical reasons too.
Managers haven’t fared too well when trying to replace the Czech Republic star though.
Here are West Ham’s results in top-flight games that Soucek HASN’T started in since 2024-25:
- 3-1 loss vs Manchester City
- 3-0 loss vs Chelsea
- 2-1 win vs Manchester United
- 3-0 loss vs Nottingham Forest
- 5-0 loss vs Liverpool
- 1-0 loss vs Wolves
- 2-1 loss vs Liverpool
- 1-1 draw vs Southampton
- 3-0 loss vs Sunderland
- 2-1 loss vs Crystal Palace
- 1-1 draw vs Everton
- 2-0 loss vs Arsenal
That means that the Hammers have accumulated a win rate of just 8.33% without the midfielder.
Meanwhile, in Premier League matches that Soucek HAS started over the same time period, West Ham boast a much-improved 33.33% win rate, once again highlighting his importance.
This includes standout victories over Newcastle, Arsenal and Manchester United last term, as well as their comfortable 3-0 triumph over Nottingham Forest earlier this season.
His contributions in front of goal, especially from set pieces, make him an even more valuable asset for the club, having totalled 10 goals and two assists since the start of last season.
Espirito Santo will undoutbedly be looking to make the most of Soucek’s strong record for the East Londoners, as he looks to avoid making the same mistakes as previous managers.
What Next for West Ham?
As previously mentioned, next up for the Hammers is a home clash against Brentford.
It is largely expected that Soucek will make an immediate return to the starting lineup.
Following their clash against the Bees, West Ham take on Leeds at Elland Road to round off October, before facing Newcastle, Burnley, Bournemouth and Liverpool throughout November.
They currently sit in a lowly 19th place in the Premier League table, one point from safety.
