Lucas Paqueta is the quintessential West Ham United player, wonderfully gifted but hugely inconsistent. Adored by the Claret and Blue faithful for his flair and ability to get bums off seats at the often painfully depressing London Stadium, the Brazilian is finding his feet again under Graham Potter.
A Weight Lifted from the Number 10
Marred by his off-the-pitch battle with the Premier League and the Brazilian FA for alleged spot betting, Paqueta struggled to make the impact his ability should bring. At times, it seemed as though our number 10 was playing with a grey cloud above his head, with the weight of the world on his shoulders. It doesn’t take a psychologist to see that the potential charges that were pending were affecting his game. His confidence to play that killer pass had gone, and in truth, at times he went hiding.
Our club’s fortunes suffered as a result. We had lost perhaps our most technically-gifted player and alongside an eerie mood in the camp during the Lopetegui era, it was a recipe for disaster. Although, perhaps most memorably during the Lopetegui era was his reaction after slotting home the penalty at the Vitality Stadium where he embraced the struggling Spaniard in a rare show of support for the manager.
The Guardiola Target and the Betting Investigation
When he is on his game, he is a joy to watch. Bullish, hard-working and with an eye for a pass it is easy to see why Pep Guardiola was willing to part with £85 million for the Brazilian’s services. Unluckily for Paqueta, and perhaps luckily for us, just as his move to Manchester was gaining traction, the betting investigations were announced following a couple of suspicious yellow cards. Paqueta and his legal team have remained adamant that he is innocent and it seems at the time of writing the charges could be set to be dropped.
Leading the Line Under Graham Potter
With injuries to our frontline with Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio, Niclas Fullkrug all picking up long-term injuries, it was left to Paqueta to lead the line under new manager Potter. Whilst the former Lyon man admitted to the fact it was unusual for him and a great challenge, he thrived. His excellent close control and hold-up play helped us gain vital points against Fulham and Aston Villa. With his new manager quick to offer praise.
‘He has to have that responsibility himself because he is important for us and then how he acts and conducts himself is really important for the team. ‘The last two performances, I can only comment on what I have seen, I think he has been fantastic. ‘His work rate for the team, what he does for the team has been of a real high level and as a result of that he gets his reward with two goals.’
The “Arm Round the Shoulder” Approach
You feel that praise is important for a player like Paqueta. He strikes me as an individual who will flourish under a manager who looks after his players, the classic arm round the shoulder approach that Potter seems to like to adopt. Potter’s possession-based play is also likely to aid Paqueta’s play. Under Lopetegui, Lucas cut a frustrated figure at times as the game drifted away from us, seldom did he find himself on the ball in attacking areas and when he did the options in front of him were often non-existent.
West Ham’s Brazilian “Bullfighter”
I think his high work rate has often gone unnoticed, it is rare to see a player described as a “flair player” have his desire to track back and make a tackle to win the ball back. He isn’t your typical Brazilian number 10, he is different, I think the best way to describe him is a bullfighter. He has that never-say-die attitude that is so important to this football club.
The only complaint we have is his histrionics at times as well as his tendency to take risks in dangerous areas. However, sometimes as fans, we have to take the rough with the smooth. As a flair player, he is going to take those gambles to break the lines to create the chance, ultimately that is what he paid to do. He does go to ground too easily, but in this league, sometimes you have to play the system a little bit, and I do genuinely feel like we are a bit too naive at times, so winning that cheap foul in dangerous areas to alleviate that pressure is key.
For me, at this moment in time, it is just pleasing to see him playing with a smile on his face and slowly getting back to his best. Because if Potterball is going to work in east London, you feel as though Paqueta is going to be central to that success.
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