West Ham’s board are in the dark as to why Nuno Espírito Santo doesn’t start with striker Callum Wilson.
Claret and Hugh understand that the West Ham board have asked the manager the question the majority of fans have been asking, but it has fallen on deaf ears: The incredible decision to start without a striker, leaving Wilson on the bench, seems unfathomable especially in a ‘must win; game like yesterdays’ Fulham encounter.
Wilson is thought to be on a low weekly basic wage, which is highly incentivised to start, play and score.
Despite needing to win, Nuno leaves Wilson on the bench for an hour
West Ham sources insist the reason not to start the only striker is not financially motivated, and the manager is under no financial pressure not to play him.
Nuno is known to be stubborn in his management approach, which we have seen with James Ward-Prowse, who doesn’t make the match-day squad, and also with Niclas Fullkrug who isn’t in the manager’s plans.
A club source responding to the question said, “We’ve spoken to the manager so many times, but he doesn’t listen”
I wouldn’t believe a word that the board ‘says!’ They have had a mind fart when it comes to running a football club and appear content to run it into the ground. Once their mission is complete and in the championship they will rebuild and become the ‘new messiahs’ and tell everyone how great they are.
Unfortunately it’s going to take a couple of years to get out of the championship the way these clowns run a show.
Here we go with the board pushing the line its not us, the manager, the players, the support, the rain, the gas bill anything but the board
You just have to look at his team sheet to know if it is worth your time sticking around through the next 100 minutes or so. If you see the names Kilman, Rodriguez, Paqueta, and no striker anywhere on the team sheet, walk away, it will do wonders for your blood pressure.
Westham have one tired , old injury prone striker who if played for more than an hour is likely to break down for months and then the club has no senior strikers at all . In the summer Potter declined a striker ( Sullivan sanctioned the Wilson deal ) and so here we are with Nuno unable to field a striker for the whole match and useless CB’s who make too many mistakes . Wilson can play one hour a week and so he was given half an hour against Fulham with the midweek Brighton match a consideration for Nuno followed by Wolves at the weekend . This is exactly why Wilson didn’t start against Fulham .
No wonder he was kicked out of Forest.
Before he signed Wilson’s poor injury record was a concern. That was one of the reasons he came on a deal that rewarded appearances. So now those injuries aren’t a concern to the board? They thought he’d be good for 90 minutes a week? Fullkrug is hardly Nuno’s problem and Antonio’s accident scuppered any thoughts of him, with a contract renewal being a second striker. There are reasons we have one striker.
Knee-jerk appointment in the first place, not the right manager at all.
Being cheap and only looking at out of work managers is finally catching up with us.
Identify the right manager and get the best you can, instead of just picking someone undoubtedly sacked from their last job.
Can you really blame Nuno to not listen to anything the board say
Seems in the 1st half NES is playing 4-4-2 defensively, (or 4-3-1-2 offensively) and then switching to 4-3-3 some time in the 2nd half. Understand use of 442 and if Summerville were a goal scorer that could have worked, or if our midfielders came running into the box to overload. Worth a try, but unfortunately not working so far and don’t have time to fix it now.
We always look better balanced with Wilson on the pitch, there is no denying it. It is like night and day – we need his hold up play, he is skillful and an intelligent player who is playing well.
2nd sticking point for me is automatically playing Paqueta as a starter when he is not playing well. Better to give the other midfielders more freedom to roam forwards and play their game instead of static and covering for P. Our midfield looks fluid and progressive playing quick passes along the ground without him. So rest him a bit, on as sub once game more open. If he has a few cracking games with assists he starts – it just happens, even with very good players.
Best to play those who are in form like Wilson, play them in their best positions and look at the balance of a team. You have to go with what works well for your team not just manager’s preferences.
Sorry folks, as a former football coach, I’ve said weeks ago Nuno is stuffing up this team with his team choice.
It’s totally senseless not to play a centre-forward from the start. This fire’s up Bowen to do his normal thing on the wing etc.
Why he insists on playing Paqueta who does not want to bleed for West Ham and is completely off form is crazy.
So is insisting to play Scarles against top class wingers, when Mo Sallah showed the lad up months ago.
Also coming in an immediately ruining JWP career is totally unacceptable. The board should immediately intervene as a player is costing mega bucks, and not playing.
One good thing he has done is stop the 0-5 losses, and talks up a good political game.
This cant go on like this. And must stop asap, as the sinking is getting deeper week after week.
Coyi. God bless West Ham.
I do not think Nuno or Sullivan know what they are doing Sullivan is ruining the club
Are you actually asking for the return of JWP?
Talk about damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t! I bet the board are behind it
Agree with him or not, it’s pretty obvious why Nuno doesn’t start with Wilson – he thinks he’s only fit enough to be effective for half an hour and he’d rather use that half an hour against a tiring defence than a fresh one. That whoever on the board Sean has been talking to finds this ‘unfathomable’ sums up the level of footballing knowledge that particular board member is operating on and goes along way to explaining why we’re in this mess.
My question for Nuno would be, if thinks he can only get limited minutes from Wilson why he doesn’t start with Marshall to tire the defence out a bit for Wilson first – even if he played him on the wing in Somerville’s place.
Have said it a number of times.
Nuno (and other managers) believe they are unquestionable.
Who does Nuno have at pitch side to confer with?
At least other clubs have a pair during match to discuss the game, subs etc.
Do managers carry so much power that they can never be questioned on team selection?
Are they at the apex of authority?
Some consultation with team captains might be a start.
Perhaps these comments are just naive!
Nuno is just the latest manager to crow bar an underperforming Paqueta into the side, our Brazilian magnifico gets manager the sack, has an appalling attitude, is a show pony, pushes square pegs into round holes and needs to go.
when we start wilson who will we bring on in the thirty fifth minute when he is done?
because Nuno has this mindset of going out not to lose a game as opposed to going out to win it .There is a huge difference in the two.