‘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.

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Premier League table

#	Team	MP	D	P
1	Manchester City	26	46	63
2	Liverpool FC	25	44	57
3	Chelsea FC	25	31	50
4	Manchester United	26	10	46
5	West Ham United	26	11	42
6	Arsenal FC	23	10	42
7	Wolverhampton Wanderers	24	5	40
8	Tottenham Hotspur	23	0	39
9	Brighton & Hove Albion	25	-3	33
10	Southampton FC	25	-5	32
11	Leicester City	23	-6	27
12	Aston Villa	24	-6	27
13	Crystal Palace	25	-4	26
14	Brentford FC	26	-15	24
15	Leeds United	24	-21	23
16	Everton FC	23	-12	22
17	Newcastle United	24	-19	22
18	Watford FC	24	-19	18
19	Burnley FC	22	-9	17
20	Norwich City	25	-38	17

Player	Team	Goals
Salah, Mohamed	Liverpool FC	17
Jota, Diogo	Liverpool FC	12
Sterling, Raheem	Manchester City	10
Fernandes, Bruno	Manchester United	9
Son, Heung Min	Tottenham Hotspur	9
Dennis, Emmanuel	Watford FC	9
Ronaldo, Cristiano	Manchester United	9
Smith-Rowe, Emile	Arsenal FC	9
Raphinha	Leeds United	9
Vardy, Jamie	Leicester City	9
Mane, Sadio	Liverpool FC	9
Bowen, Jarrod	West Ham United	8
Antonio, Michail	West Ham United	8
Mahrez, Riyad	Manchester City	8
Maupay, Neal	Brighton & Hove Albion	8
Mount, Mason	Chelsea FC	7
Saka, Bukayo	Arsenal FC	7
Gallagher, Conor	Crystal Palace	7
De Bruyne, Kevin	Manchester City	7
Kane, Harry	Tottenham Hotspur	7

Player	Team	Red Cards	Yellow Cards
Neves, Ruben	Wolverhampton Wanderers	0	9
Dennis, Emmanuel	Watford FC	0	7
Mctominay, Scott	Manchester United	0	8
Salisu, Mohammed	Southampton FC	0	7
Fernandes, Bruno	Manchester United	0	7
Rice, Declan	West Ham United	0	7
Shaw, Luke	Manchester United	0	7
Cash, Matty	Aston Villa	0	7
Maguire, Harry	Manchester United	0	6
Brownhill, Josh	Burnley FC	0	7
Gallagher, Conor	Crystal Palace	0	6
Pogba, Paul	Manchester United	1	5
McGinn, John	Aston Villa	0	6
Canos, Sergi	Brentford FC	0	6
Alonso, Marcos	Chelsea FC	0	6
Moreno, Rodrigo	Leeds United	0	6
Norgaard, Christian	Brentford FC	0	6
Westwood, Ashley	Burnley FC	0	6
Tarkowski, James	Burnley FC	0	6
Laporte, Aymeric	Manchester City	1	5

Player	Team	Assists
Alexander-Arnold, Trent	Liverpool FC	10
Salah, Mohamed	Liverpool FC	9
Bowen, Jarrod	West Ham United	8
Pogba, Paul	Manchester United	8
Robertson, Andy	Liverpool FC	8
Jesus, Gabriel	Manchester City	7
Fernandes, Bruno	Manchester United	6
Mount, Mason	Chelsea FC	6
Cancelo, Joao	Manchester City	6
Son, Heung Min	Tottenham Hotspur	5
Dennis, Emmanuel	Watford FC	5
Antonio, Michail	West Ham United	5
James, Reece	Chelsea FC	5
Lacazette, Alexandre	Arsenal FC	5
Kovacic, Mateo	Chelsea FC	5
Barnes, Harvey	Leicester City	5
Redmond, Nathan	Southampton FC	5
Mahrez, Riyad	Manchester City	4
Saka, Bukayo	Arsenal FC	4
Ward Prowse, James	Southampton FC	4