Whilst most of Nuno Espirito Santo’s selection dilemma has centred around Callum Marshall, tonight’s game against Brentford could see the recall of West Ham’s great survivor — Tomas Soucek.
Soucek might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but tonight’s Premier League fixture will be Nuno’s first chance to select the big Czech. Having served his suspension, Soucek could well be the manager’s answer to the question of who replaces the injured Niclas Füllkrug.
Not that I believe Espirito Santo will start Soucek as a striker against Brentford, but the deck may well be reshuffled — with either Lucas Paquetá or Jarrod Bowen potentially playing through the middle for West Ham.
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I have to admit, I thought Soucek’s time was up at the London Stadium when the Hammers appointed Julen Lopetegui last summer. Yet despite two further managerial changes, Soucek is still here — and still capable of being a match-winner.
His aerial ability, in particular, is likely to tempt Nuno. With Füllkrug out, the gaffer will be looking for more height from set-pieces, while Soucek’s presence will also help defend against Brentford’s long throws, which are a constant threat.
Soucek himself is speaking like a man who expects to play: “I hope that we have a really good Monday night and that I can come and join the team with a good performance, as it’s a very important night for us”.
The truth is, we’ve only had a brief glimpse into how Nuno operates and who his favoured players might be. But I’ve got a hunch the big fella could be drafted back in tonight — and let’s be honest, there are far worse players to have in a relegation scrap.