David Moyes was typically stoic in the aftermath of West Ham United's first-leg Europa League quarter-final defeat against Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday night, remarking that he gives his team "half a chance" of overturning the deficit.
Leverkusen, controlled by Xabi Alonso, have been a veritable machine, unstoppable, this season and after Liverpool's shock 3-0 loss against Atalanta are the clear favourites to lift the trophy, unbeaten all season, miles clear in the Bundesliga title race and into the DFB Pokal final.
For the Hammers, seventh place in the Premier League and a valiant display on the bank of the Rhine speaks of a campaign of comparative success, with no telling how it will conclude at this stage.
Still, while Moyes will be content with West Ham's position, the lack of a high-level striker has been a regular theme and Gianluca Scamacca's excellent display against Liverpool serves as a reminder of the ruefulness of his departure last summer.
Gianluca Scamacca's performance vs Liverpool
West Ham signed Scamacca from Sassuolo for £35.5m back in July 2022 after he scored 16 Serie A goals throughout the 2021/22 campaign, though he was branded "miserable" by pundit Chris Sutton during his time in London.
Clearly disgruntled with life in England, the Italian scored only three times in the Premier League before returning to his homeland at the end of the season, joining Atalanta in a £27m deal.
At Anfield, as per Sofascore, Scamacca scored two clinical goals from just two shots on target but also took 51 touches – when compared to Darwin Nunez, who touched the ball only 25 times, the 25-year-old's influence is underscored.
But not just a goalscoring threat, the centre-forward won a whopping ten duels and made four tackles in a stunning display of commitment and fortitude to silence an already flat Liverpool atmosphere.
These are the characteristics that enticed Moyes into forging ahead with his transfer, and these are the qualities that would make such a marked impact on the current West Ham squad.
The club must ensure they do not make the same mistake again and must reject the vested interest from Manchester City in influential midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who may be on the move this summer.
Why West Ham must keep hold of Lucas Paqueta
According to SportBILD, West Ham will demand £100m from Manchester City for the departure of Paqueta this summer, with the star scoring eight goals and adding seven assists in all competitions this season.
Paqueta has a release clause in his Hammers contract but Moyes and co must do everything within their power to ensure that he does not fall into rival hands.
With Paqueta
25
13
1.92
Without Paqueta
7
0
0.43
His ball-playing skills, vision and drive bring so much out of West Ham – namely threatening teammates Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen – and having been hailed as a "magician" by journalist Robbie Mustoe, his abilities are clear.
As per FBref, the 26-year-old ranks among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 8% for progressive passes, the top 1% for tackles, the top 18% for interceptions, the top 16% for blocks and the top 4% for aerial wins per 90.
He's an all-encompassing monster of a midfielder, irreplaceable, and allowing him to depart this summer would be detrimental. West Ham need to sustain their position in and around European competition.
After all, the Brazilian is contracted to the London Stadium until 2027 and with a lack of clarity over Moyes' managerial position at the end of the campaign, allowing such a masterful creative threat to join a Premier League rival might not be a prudent move.
Moyes' deal with West Ham expires this summer and while the poor spell throughout January and February prompted the bosses to hold on negotiations, the manager has recently claimed that he has a fresh offer on the table.
This West Ham squad has given so much but still has so much to offer. Paqueta, one would think, must remain at the core to pump playmaking quality and technical ability unmatched by most top Premier League stars.
Manchester City might present a lucrative package to glean Paqueta's services, but the squad is steadily improving and has already spread reinforcements following Declan Rice's £105m transfer to Arsenal last summer, and to lose another powerhouse might tip the scales too far.