Lucas Paquetá has apologised to his teammates following his double-yellow dismissal against Liverpool. The Brazilian midfielder will miss Thursday’s fixture against Manchester United as a result of his petulance towards referee Darren England.
Later that evening, the 28-year-old blamed his behaviour on the prolonged FA investigation — ironically into alleged betting breaches involving his yellow cards.
After the game, manager Nuno Espírito Santo refused to be drawn on the incident, telling journalists he needed to speak to the player first. Well, now he has.
“I’ve spoken to Lucas, and not only me — he has spoken to all of his teammates. First of all, he apologised. Everybody deserves a chance, and this is the case. We have to move forward. Lucas isn’t available for the Manchester United game, but he will be involved in the next one.”
Most Read on West Ham News
Bowen Under Scrutiny as Leadership Questioned
Apologising to his teammates would have been an interesting scene, particularly given the criticism directed at captain Jarrod Bowen after the incident. Bowen showed a lack of leadership in allowing a situation to unfold that most people watching could see coming a mile off. One would imagine he didn’t appreciate being dragged under the microscope for failing to step in as Paquetá’s temper spiralled.
The timing made it all the worse. On the day the club learned of Billy Bonds’ passing, it was unedifying to watch a West Ham player throw a tantrum on the pitch and get himself sent off, while supporters were trying to pay their respects to Bonzo.
Nevertheless, Espírito Santo appears to have drawn a line under the episode, seemingly satisfied with the mitigation that Paquetá’s meltdown was linked to sustained pressure from the FA investigation. But like Bowen, Nuno has now been placed in an awkward position. His unwavering support for Paquetá means the midfielder must repay the faith shown in him — by the manager, the club, the fans, and, most importantly, his teammates.