30 | November | 2023

Archive for November 30, 2023

Super Tomáš Souček

Tomas Soucek is back to his best: he has hit the back of the net in all of his latest five games for club and country.

Souček scored the winner in the Europa League game against FK TSC Bačka Topola on Thursday night (1-0), against Burnley last weekend (2-1), and before the international break against Nottingham Forest (3-2). For the Czech Republic the 28 year old scored the 1-1 against Poland and one goal in his country‘s win over Moldova, helping his country qualify for the European Championship in Germany 2024.

The 1,92m man started his career at Slavia Prague, joining their youth team as a 10 year old from hometown club Slovan Havlíčkův Brod. Havličkuv Brod is a small town halfway between Brno and Prague.

Souček’s goal against their Serbian opponents on Thursday evening was especially important given Freiburg’s 5-0 win at Olympiacos. If the Hammers had not won courtesy of Souček’s 89th minute goal they would have been leapfrogged at the top of UEFA Europa League Group A ahead of their last European game of the year on 12 December at London Stadium. Now a draw with Freiburg would be enough to win the group and avoid a play-off game in February, proceeding straight into the round of 16.

Most of Souček‘s five goals came close to the final whistle, he scored for the Irons in the 89th, 91st and 88th minute and for his home country in the 90th minute. Only in their very important draw with Poland which won them automatic qualification for the European Championship the Czech equalised as early as in minute 49.

West Ham will need Souček’s goal scoring abilities as their influential duo Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio are out injured. Now the other players have to step up the plate to help the Irons keep up with their busy schedule of 10 games, in three competitions, between now and the end of the year. Let’s hope the performances will improve, compared to the last games in which only the results were fine, but the display of David Moyes’s men has to improve when the Hammers now go into a run of three consecutive London derbies against Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Fulham before they host Freiburg at the London Stadium.

I‘m looking forward to join the claret and blue army at Fulham in ten days when we will travel to London before Christmas.

Come on you Irons!