I want to preface this think-piece with two key points that there’s no such thing as a bad Premier League player, even if some do a mean impression of one, and I’d never boo a player in a West Ham shirt, though many of them do make me groan loudly.
Everyone, however, is fair game for criticism. And given the flak received by Antonio, Soucek, Coufal and, latterly, Mavropanos – some more deserved than others – it amazes me that Edson Alvarez has not yet become a target for the boo boys. Granted, he’s still contributing more than World Cup-winner Guido Rodriguez, corroborating point one – there are levels to these things, and context makes a world of difference.
And I was prepared to cut him some slack in the early part of this season given the hamstring injury suffered at the Copa America. It could also be argued that he’s been hamstrung by a series of lacklustre midfield partners. The flipside to this is that no-one looks more lacklustre than Alvarez himself.
Running Through Treacle
Is it just me, or does our Mexican ‘enforcer’ consistently look like he’s running through treacle? I have to ask, because in his first season he was a firm fan favourite, seemingly rated by most as a solid replacement for Rice in the defensive shield position. However, if Rice has earned the nickname ‘Horse’ from his present teammates for his ability to maraud about the pitch, it’s tempting if unkind to suggest that his replacement is more of a donkey.
We love a hard man in the East End and the ‘El Machín’ moniker Alvarez came with probably shielded him from criticism initially. Diving into tackles is a surefire way to give the impression of being committed. In the modern game, however, going to ground is also a telltale sign of being slow and positionally inept; it should be noted that Wan-Bissaka is an honourable exception to this rule as he is one of the rare few keeping the art of the slide tackle alive, as evidenced by his two yellow cards to Alvarez’s eight.
The Disciplinary Tightrope
Two of those eight yellows resulted in reds, and the disciplinary tightrope he constantly walks reminds me of Tomas Repka, who became a cult hero for being hot-headed. The thing with Repka is, he was genuinely unhinged, ability turning to liability at the flick of a switch. Alvarez, by contrast, picks up bookings as a matter of habit, they’re a byproduct of mediocrity, and he’s too braindead to adapt his game once cautioned.
In fact, in a team crying out for an all-action midfield dynamo, Alvarez is woefully one-dimensional. The holding midfielder has been lauded as a specialist position thanks to the likes of Makelele and Busquets, but these ‘sitters’ had an energy and range of passing that puts our number 19 to shame.
And while goals aren’t expected of defensive-minded players, it’s ironic that the one he’s scored for us, as opposed to a scoring rate of roughly one in ten for Ajax – again, levels, was his most memorable moment of energy and panache, but simultaneously demonstrated that self-sabotaging lack of nous and game management by bursting forward in the 95th minute when protecting a one-goal lead at Goodison Park.
Out of the Comfort Zone
It’s probably fair to say that Edson was better suited to Moyes’s rudimentary low-block tactics than anything more expansive. When pushed out of his comfort zone in front of the back four, the results haven’t been pretty. At home to Chelsea in September, Lopetegui appeared to experiment with Alvarez switching between centre-back and centre-midfield.
Everyone was confused as to where he was meant to be, including the man himself, and we were two-nil down within 20 minutes. Recently he has spent more time in the opposition’s half since the returning JWP has been trusted to set the tempo at the base of midfield. But Alvarez looks lost dribbling with the ball, and I lost count of the number of times he fell over his own feet during the perfunctory one-nil defeat to Newcastle last month.
Looking for an Upgrade
Perhaps the most damning indictment is that Manchester United were interested last summer. Ten Hag fancied him, having managed Mexico’s captain at Ajax, and the form of erstwhile teammates Lisandro Martínez, André Onana and Antony suggests he would have fitted in fine at modern-day Old Trafford.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d like nothing more than for Alvarez to prove me wrong and live up to the rumoured £40m valuation, but if ‘El Machín’ continues to malfunction then we’ll need an upgrade if we’re aiming higher than the Premier League’s bottom quartile.
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