Like most managers, Nuno Espírito Santo has his favourites. Just ask James Ward Prowse. The polar opposite of his predecessor at West Ham United, Nuno banished Ward Prowse to the Irons’ equivalent of Chelsea’s bomb squad and hasn’t used him since landing at London Stadium.
From his reluctance to use Callum Wilson in anything but a dire emergency, it seems the Hammers manager has a similar feeling of antipathy towards the West Ham veteran.
Maybe his age, maybe because he was a David Sullivan free ‘pick’ last Summer – who can tell. It seemed Nuno was happy for Wilson to leave in January if the stories were to be believed but whatever the reason, Wilson doesn’t get match time and is frustrated and if reports are true, considering leaving.
Which isn’t sitting well with former Hammers manager Alan Pardew, who took the club back to the Premier League via the playoffs and to the FA Cup final in 2006. Pardew, speaking on talkSPORT made his own opinions clear on Callum Wilson’s value as a superset just hours after the Hammers’ number nine pooped up for the crucial winner and saved Nuno’s bacon:
“Well done Callum. Give him a new deal”
Whether Nuno is ready to listen depends on whether West Ham win their battle to retain top flight status: What do fans think, I wonder, of the value of Wilson as a ‘supersub’ for another twelve months, which ever league the Hammers find themselves in next season?
It is tough on Wilson as he keeps proving his worth, but is not able to help with a high press at the beginning of games. Would be good to see him come on earlier in matches, but he thrives just as in the last game, where WHU pressuring for another goal with crosses coming in, WHU players in the box and when man-marking is not so easy.
Bit like Traore. When he replaced Summerville against Wolves (LW) he played a blinder, but bring him on as a late sub in place of Bowen on the right, then KWP is exposed while Soucek (RDM) cannot both defend centrally and cover for Traore, which brings its own problems and leaves the team open to a counter.