West Ham star Edson Alvarez told by David Moyes his ill discipline is harming their push for Europe
Edson Alvarez has been warned by David Moyes that his indiscipline is damaging West Ham’s hopes of European qualification.
The Mexican is available for Saturday’s trip to Wolves after missing games with Newcastle and Tottenham having picking up his tenth yellow card of the season against Aston Villa.
2
Alvarez has made an impressive start to life at the London Stadium having been given the task of filling the void left by Declan Rice.
But after a glut of yellow cards coupled with an impending Europa League suspension, Moyes wants the former Ajax star to manage his temperament better.
"I think the intensity and the speed is probably where he’s still getting used to the Premier League,” said Moyes ahead of the trip to Molineux.
"For us, we’ve not got such a big squad where we can afford too many people to be out.
Read more on West Ham
“We lost him earlier in the season through suspension, we’ve had him out now and we’ll lose him for the game in Leverkusen in midweek as well.
"It begins to have an effect on you that you’re losing him for so many games.
“He’s been booked too often. We need to try and find a way where he doesn’t put himself in that situation because it affects the team and it has done in recent weeks.”
Alvarez has proved to be a huge miss for the Hammers when he is unavailable, with the east Londoners taking just two points from the five league games he has missed this season - including last weekend’s capitulation at Newcastle.
Most read in Football
2
Moyes added of Alvarez: “We’ve missed his presence.
“He’s been a big influence on us since we signed him at the start of the season. He’s been hugely important to the team.
West Ham's Michail Antonio admits he's getting frustrated by 'delusional' Arsenal supporters amid Gunners' Premier League title charge
“I’ve not had a conversation with him because I’d expect him to be experienced enough to understand that you can’t go about getting yellow cards every week.
"He’s wise enough, he doesn’t need me to tell him.”
A pivotal week for Moyes’ side sees them travel to runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday, before a key London derby at home to Fulham a week on Sunday.
Topics