Soucek
(Credit: Imago)
Carla Devine
Wed 26 March 2025 9:41, UK
West Ham have had several players leave the London Stadium for international duty over the last couple of weeks.
Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal joined the Czechia squad, starting their World Cup qualification campaign perfectly, each playing 90 minutes on Tuesday.
The Hammers duo helped overcome Gibraltar 4-0, making it two wins from two as they bid to reach the World Cup in 2026, albeit with mixed reviews.
West Ham United's London Stadium
Soucek and Coufal will soon return to West Ham. (Credit: Imago)
Soucek underwhelming on international stage
Soucek has continued to be a regular for West Ham this season, making 27 appearances in the Premier League.
However, despite being captain of his national side, the 30-year-old struggled to perform during the easy win over Gibraltar.
MORE WEST HAM STORIES
It wasn’t a disastrous display, but iSport rated the defensive midfielder a six out of 10, writing: “Spoiled a beautiful individual move with a poor finish.”
Sports CZ gave Soucek a rating of three out of five, where five is the lowest mark. His Hammers teammate Coufal came off better with a rating of two out of five.
ISports rated Coufal a six out of ten, labelling his performance as “quality” and crediting his commitment throughout the 90 minutes.
Coufal
Vladimir Coufal put in a good display. (Credit: Imago)
West Ham need to up their standards in the Premier League
Graham Potter has had a rocky start to life at West Ham, not helped by the fact that his resources were limited in the winter transfer window.
The new boss has done enough to pull the Irons away from the relegation zone, and with his side now sitting 17 points clear of the drop, there isn’t anything to worry about, which does take pressure off.
Position Played Won Drawn Lost Points
16 29 9 7 13 34
West Ham’s table position.
Nevertheless, Potter will be hoping his side can finish the season on more of a high and with the summer transfer window approaching, it could be a chance for some players to prove themselves.
Coufal has admitted that he was frustrated when West Ham blocked a move to Fulham in the winter window, with the 32-year-old having had decreased game time this season.
With that in mind, you would expect him to move on from West Ham, but after what he has given the supporters in East London over the years, you would hope he would be keen to go out on a high.
Soucek remains under contract until 2027, and although it seems he wasn’t at his best levels on the international stage, he has always proven to be reliable for West Ham.
Soucek may not always stand out, but he does have the ability to get his head down and give everything for his team.
Related Posts