West Ham teammates 'want liability Lucas Paqueta axed' amid 'unbelievable' claim

Lucas Paquetá is a “liability” for West Ham and his teammates might wish for him to be dropped from the side, Alan Pardew has suggested.

The former Newcastle boss likened the Brazilian’s defensive shortcomings to those of Hatem Ben Arfa during his time at St. James’ Park, claiming both have fantastic ability on the ball but put their colleagues under pressure.

Pardew stopped short of calling for Julen Lopetegui to axe Paqueta but insisted the Hammers boss will be forced to put more pace into his side elsewhere to compensate.

The former Magpies manager said on talkSPORT: “I had Ben Arfa at Newcastle who could do things with the ball at a top, top level. He had unbelievable talent [but] he literally had zero defensive qualities in him. He didn’t want to defend, couldn’t defend, and even when he did, he’d give fouls away and caused us a problem.

“Actually, the players in the team wanted him out of the team more than I did. It was almost like ‘he’s costing us’, and he could not see that, of course, and he got disgruntled and we had a few issues with him.”

Drawing parallels with Paquetá, Pardew added: “I think Paquetá is in that frame. He’s almost like a liability at times when you haven’t got the ball. He’s got unbelievable quality, and if I was at West Ham I would play him, but I would certainly look at my back four and look for a bit more pace and a little bit more organisation, because if you’re asking me what their problem is at the moment, it’s defending.”

West Ham should sell Paqueta in the summer transfer window

Football Insider opinion

The 27-year-old’s performances for the Irons have come under scrutiny, particularly in the 5-2 defeat to Arsenal last Saturday (30 November) and with West Ham languishing in 14th place in the Premier League, it’s easy to see why questions are being asked.

The Brazilian was at fault for conceding a penalty after lazily sticking out a leg in his own box when tackling Buyako Saka, allowing the Englishman to convert from the spot. Additionally, he was dispossessed in the centre of the pitch, leading directly to another Gunners goal, further compounding his poor display.

Offensively, his contributions have also been underwhelming. This season, he has managed only two goals in 13 Premier League games, a stark contrast to the 10 goal involvements (five goals, six assists) he achieved last term.

Since joining the club in 2022, Paqueta has never scored more than five league goals in a season, raising questions about his supposed impact in the final third.

While the midfielder’s talent is undeniable, his inconsistency and defensive lapses are becoming costly for Hammers, leaving fans and critics alike questioning his role in the team.

In other news, Jose Mourinho is “very interested” in being the next Irons manager – Football insider reveals.

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