Frank McAvennie believes a lack of communication between Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek was the reason the latter had a poor campaign last season for the Hammers.
The Czech Republic star was criticized last season for poor performances and McAvennie thinks Rice and Soucek should co-ordinate their runs to the box in order to be successful.
Soucek scored 10 Premier League goals in his first season for the Hammers but only 5 last season.
“I think, this is what I think happened last year,” he told West Ham Zone.
“Declan started going forward. He started running with the ball and doing what he’s good at. When he runs forward, it means Soucek can’t get in the box because one of them has to sit. I think he was doing that a lot more, going forwards, and I don’t think Soucek knew how to do it (sit deep). I really don’t.
“His game is all about getting in the box and scoring goals. Arriving late, and scoring goals and it didn’t work. I think it’s because Declan.. listen, talk to each other.
“They don’t talk to each other. Sit in the dressing room and say look, ‘I’m getting caught here and we’ve got to work it out.’ It’s not rocket science.
“If he goes forward, I get Soucek wants to say I’ll get on the end of Declan’s cross, but when it doesn’t and the ball gets cut out, it means the two of them are forward and nobody is in the midfield. So we were getting caught out a bit. It’s just communication you know.
“I think he’s a good player Soucek, I really do. By all accounts a great lad, all he wants to do is play football. I wouldn’t want to see anyone like that leaving, that’s for sure.”
Soucek has been strongly linked with a possible exit this summer as he enters last 12 months of his contract at London Stadium.