Hammers boss David Moyes says West Ham player Pablo Fornals seriously frustrates him at times but has something others don’t.
West Ham and bitter rivals Spurs played out a London derby Down Under on Tuesday with the Hammers emerging 3-2 victors.
That did not tell the whole story of a game described as a ‘Tottenham procession’ by the Australian commentators.
But it’s pre-season and all about fitness at this stage.
The match was something of a microcosm of Pablo Fornals’ recent West Ham career in one game.
Some neat touches and clever passes mixed with moments of frustration where his lack of pace and agility hold him and the team back.
Fornals was one of the first names on Moyes’ West Ham teamsheet the season before last. But he found game time hard to come by last term and he admitted it deeply hurt him.
The Spaniard’s outpouring of emotion when he scored that goal away at AZ Alkmaar to seal West Ham’s place in the Europa Conference League final said it all.
Guardian journalist Jacob Steinberg recently claimed fan favourite Fornals could face an uncertain future at West Ham.
Now his manager has made an honest admission about the Spaniard following the win over Tottenham.
Fornals was extremely quiet and struggled to get on the ball in the second half as Spurs dominated possession.
But it was his brilliant through ball which sent Gianluca Scamacca through to score the winner.
David Moyes says West Ham player Fornals seriously frustrates him at times but has something others don’t.
“We (West Ham management staff) moan sometimes because he (Fornals) makes something and we wonder ‘What are you trying, Pablo?’” Moyes said after the game.
“But he is someone who has always come up with a pass or a goal for us in crucial moments.
“He made a really crucial pass through for Gianluca to run in and finish.”
West Ham fans have long bemoaned Moyes’ use of Fornals on the left. He has even played as a left wingback on occasion.
It is widely felt the Cockney Carzola’s best position – where he can do the most damage with his excellent passing vision – is more central.
We must not forget West Ham signed Fornals from Villarreal after he starred for Spain Under 21s as a second striker when they lifted the 2019 Euros.
With Manuel Lanzini and Declan Rice having both left the club, there is space to be filled in West Ham’s central midfield options.
Whether Moyes sees him as a genuine option in that position remains to be seen.
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