‘I was playing in a system that I didn’t really enjoy’ Ajax striker Sebastien Haller Lifts the lid on failed West Ham move
While West Ham face a race to make the top 4 next season, and get the Champions League football that comes with it, one former hammer is already thriving at Europe’s top table.
Playing his first season in the competition, Sebastien Haller is currently the competition’s top goalscorer, having netted a staggering 10 times in the six group games for Ajax.
10 goals in 6 games
Haller’s debut #UCL campaign has been ______ pic.twitter.com/nDeqrYj9Jg
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 23, 2022
It is a record that could well continue as the Amsterdam side take on Benfica in the Champions League round of 32. So why didn’t it work at West Ham?
Change of system left Haller behind
Speaking to The Guardian, Haller lifted the lid on the problems that he had at West Ham, and just why the 45 million pound move, still West Ham’s record signing, didn’t work out.
‘I was brought in by Manuel Pellegrini but then David Moyes came and we got in a situation where we were … like trapped together, he claimed.
‘I was playing in a system that I didn’t really enjoy. Moyes preferred someone like [Michail] Antonio up front, and I’m super happy he [Antonio]’s doing so well; I am for all the guys at West Ham. I had a good time there with them but I was also really mad at the situation, [with] the way we were playing, the way I was playing, the way I was feeling …’
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 29: West Ham United’s Sebastien Haller during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Southampton FC at London Stadium on February 29, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)
Despite his annoyance at the situation, he recognised that it was not Moyes’ fault.
‘I don’t want to blame David’, Haller added. ‘Sometimes a style of play doesn’t suit a player and I wasn’t the striker he needed. And I also wasn’t his signing. If you bring in players [as a manager] that cost money for the club, you need to show that you didn’t make a mistake.’
With West Ham and Haller flourishing apart, the split seemingly came at a perfect time.
Read more:
Randers FC vs Leicester City live streaming: Watch UEFA Europa Conference League round of 16 second leg online
Rangers vs Borussia Dortmund betting tips: Europa League preview, predictions and odds
Posted On AfroNaija First : ‘I was playing in a system that I didn’t really enjoy’ Ajax striker Sebastien Haller lifts the lid on Failed West Ham move
