At the pre-match press conference, Hammers coach [Nuno Espírito Santo](https://www.claretandhugh.info/nuno-singles-out-key-west-ham-player-and-demands-more/) made it clear that he demanded more of one of his senior players, wanting him to become a talisman and a symbol on the pitch rather than a passenger.
Expecting Lucas Paquetá, now freed of the threat of the FA inquiry, to step up and lead the side’s recovery this autumn is clearly Nuno’s wish- “_Being a ‘ten’ is a symbol. Being the ‘ten’ and this is what we need from Lucas – the best of him to really help his team mates, because the team-mates trust him a lot and they know that there’s much more for him to give us, the talent that he has” ._
Was how he put it. Others don’t have then same confidence in Paquetá’s ability to lead by example: Ex-Spurs player turned pundit Tim Sherwood claims Paquetá is a luxury player who doesn’t play for his team, and the last thing the Hammers need just now. Speaking to [Premier League’s ‘team talks](https://www.premierleague.com/en/)‘, Sherwood blasted the Brazilian:
“_Paqueta plays for Paqueta. He doesn’t play for West Ham at the moment. And I think he’s great player. He could potentially play for the Man City’s and Liverpool’s of this world and the Arsenal’s…A lot of West Ham fans will be out there saying, well, he’s our best player. He probably is in the final third, but he’s probably the biggest liability you got when you’re asking him to do a responsible thing.”_
Pundit claims Paquetá is a liability for West Ham in their predicament
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And making it clear that in Nuno’s position, he’d offload Paquetá as soon as the January window comes around:
_“I would drive to any club he wants to go if we were getting the money for him and I’m in the position if we need to release some funds so we can spend it in other positions I would take him wherever he wants to go,”_ Said the ex Spurs man.
_“I think he’s a real top player. But he’s a liability in the position where we are in the league.”_
So far, Espirito Santo has resisted the chance to drop the Brazilian, playing him as a midfielder and unsuccessfully as a false ‘9’: He’s yet to get the best out of West Ham’s ‘number 10’ and the longer that ‘fail’ continues, the more the consternation will grow that perhaps, just this once, Tim Sherwood may have a point.