West Ham United boss David Moyes should drop one of his regular starters at the London Stadium as he does not fit a possession-based style of play, according to pundit Frank McAvennie.

West Ham United's up and down season

In the Premier League, West Ham sit 12th in the table having taken 14 points from their first 11 fixtures; nevertheless, Scottish boss Moyes has had to battle with a recent slump in form at the London Stadium. Questions surrounding Moyes' future have never been far away in East London, with a report from Football Insider last month claiming that a decision on his tenure could be set to unfold later this campaign.

The former Everton manager remains in his post for now and secured a much-needed victory on Thursday against Olympiacos in the Europa League, as a strike in the 73rd minute from Lucas Paqueta helped to alleviate some of the pressure on his shoulders.

Winning just his second match in seven games, Moyes complimented his side for navigating their way through a challenging tie against the Greek outfit, stating: "We were a bit gritty, we could have done some things better, but overall winning the games in Europe is really important. Tonight was a tough opponent, it really was, and it proved that way at Olympiacos and it was again tonight."

Domestic momentum has been something that has evaded the Hammers in recent times, though they could potentially move into the top half of the Premier League standings if they defeat Nottingham Forest at the London Stadium on Sunday Already undertaking his pre-match press conference duties before the Nottingham Forest clash, Moyes has indicated that it is too soon to know whether club captain Kurt Zouma will return from knee issues to play a part against the Tricky Trees.

Frank McAvennie not happy with Tomas Soucek

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit McAvennie has claimed West Ham boss Moyes should drop midfielder Tomas Soucek, or he will have a "problem".

Tomas Soucek statistics for West Ham in 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

16

Goals

4

Assists

1

McAvennie also indicated that he would like to see Moyes alter the Hammers' style of play, as he stated: "We’re a really good team with really good players and we don’t need to counter-attack. He doesn’t have to, we have players that can keep the ball for fun.

"Moyes is playing Soucek but I don’t think he’s been hitting the heights that he has been. He’s a good player, but David is going to have a problem. Mohammed Kudus can’t get out of the team now, Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma, James Ward-Prowse – you’ve got all these midfield players. They’re better than just counter-attacking.

“He’s going to have a headache. For me, they should all be playing before Soucek. He’s shown little flashes but for me, he’s not been influential the way he was.”

Of course, the Czech international has been linked with the likes of Serie A giants Inter Milan in recent times; nevertheless, it will be intriguing to see what the near future holds for Soucek.