The news that Nuno Espírito Santo would remain at West Ham in their Championship campaign certainly raised eyebrows when it broke last week.
The Hammers had long suggested, since Karren Brady’s disclosure to the fan forum, that the club would be appointing a new technical director, and following their manager’s well documented issues with that ‘model’ of leadership at Nottingham Forest, it was naturally assumed Nuno would be very much against working within that framework.
Not so you’d know it now, just one week later. From his words and evident ‘contentment’ to stay in east London, the West Ham manager seems to have few issues – that he’s prepared to air in public, in any case.
Reported via the standard.co.uk, Nuno claims no hesitations whatsoever in staying on, despite all the talk of sporting directors, huge club debt and massive sell-off of players and how that might impact his task to seek promotion:
“It was a moment to feel and to understand. But there was never doubts on myself and the board that this is something that we want to continue, and I’m really pleased. I’m thankful for the confidence, and now it’s time to work”
I wonder if Nuno, perhaps, knows more than he’s letting on about the ‘promised’ appointment of a problematic superior: Of course a new Sporting Director would have the potential to create similar problems to those he butted up against at Nottingham Forest, whose owner appointed Edu as the overall supremo – the trigger which caused Nuno to walk following ‘differences’ between Edu and manager.
Happy to stay and plot the promotion campaign, Nuno appears untroubled by reports of an ‘imminent’ appointment to West Ham’s boardroom.
As Nuno explained, after the last day defeat against Leeds confirmed relegation:
“There was a lot of noise, a lot of questions. But it was important the timing, to understand the time of the decision. After relegation, for all of us, it was tough, it was sad,”
“I’m thankful for the confidence, and now it’s time to work…We have only one mission. Me, you and everybody here. Let’s get back to the Premier League. We must”.
As long as the much promised appointment of a Technical Director or Sporting Director remains uncompleted, supporters will sense Nuno and his ‘super agent’ associate Jorge Mendes tightening their own control at the helm of the good ship West Ham United.
Nuno’s evident pleasure at remaining in charge could easily undergo a huge sea change if the Hammers do follow through with a ‘superior’ executive appointment. Which kind of makes the cynical amongst us wonder if it will ever happen.
Forest must just be watching and giggling the exact reason they got rid and Nuno & Mendes came to WH just carry on their kickback capers! No doubt the Pablo deal instead of loaning a premiership proven plaer and Nunos insistence in playing him instead of Taty & Wilson sent us down
Call me old fashioned, but I think the manager should be the de facto DOF. He is the person responsible for picking the team, deciding on the system & tactics, motivating the players, managing at the match etc, and as such has to have the final say on buying and selling. This is subject of course to the club’s financial constraints. Under the manager there can be a technical director, or whatever, responsible for things like scouting/identifying targets, data analysis, observing opponents (legally) youth policy. The one obstacle to having such a set up at West Ham is Sullivan, who appears to think he is entitled to overrule anyone and impose decisions on anyone. And worst of all he thinks he’s good at it !
It isn’t going to happen Sullivan doesn’t want a DOF and neither does Nuno. West Ham are going to hell in a handcart and no one within the club seems to care!
So Nuno and Mendes hold out for compensation on the further 2 years of his contract that dear old Dave thought he could swerve ….meanwhile Dave plays games on the DOF appointment because he can’t help himself and refuses to read the room…oh and the final piece of nonsense from Dave and the Czech billionaire is don’t think our personal money is going in via any substantive rights issue before we sell players…