How do you create an identity at a club which is on its fourth manager inside two seasons. That is the thorny question with which new coach Nuno Espírito Santo was grappling yesterday in his first pre-match press conference. West Ham face one of their more difficult challenges of the season early in Nuno’s reign in what is a ‘free hit’ for the head coach. The away trip to the Emirates comes just one week into his tenure, so expectations are real enough.
The Portugese manager has taken a big step towards understanding the ‘West Ham way’ simply by learning from his interim back room team. Owing to the swiftness of Potter’s exit and the speed with which Nuno was appointed, no pre-arranged plan was put into place for the new head coach to walk into the job with his team already in place.
Youth team coaches Mark Robson, Gerard Prenderville, Billy Lepine and Steve Potts have done a pretty good job with the u21’s and will help Nuno for the first few weeks. Invaluable support and from the early signs against Everton, improvements appear within reach.
Hayters.com suggested yesterday that:
“Espirito Santo wants to build a West Ham way at the club”
“Nuno Espírito Santo, the club’s latest boss, feels he needs to spend time at the club and fully immerse himself to understand the feeling of what the ‘West Ham way’ is. I’m trying to understand every day,” he said. “And every day they tell me about this. It’s not (just) about understanding. It goes much further. We have to feel it. So I need some time to feel it.
“I’m starting to understand it, but I really have to feel it. And after we really feel it, and I say after everybody feels it, if there’s a way, we have to put it inside of us. Does it make sense what I’m saying?”
Hopefully the interim coaching team will impress on Nuno that the ‘West Ham way’ is largely a media obsession and his priorities are simple: Score more than he concedes, bring talented youth players into the squad where suitable and the rest will look after itself.
The Way will develop and become whatever it becomes. A sensible response from Nuno. A sensible manager concentrating on doing the job in hand. Refreshing and reassuring for the rest of us.
We have no unique identity or style which distinguishes us from the plethora of also rans in our league. Maybe we can build something but we will not notice it day by day. Give it some time before reflection and be patient people.
COYI
Taffy ‘Confucius’ hammer 😁
The West Ham Way did exist back in the 60’s and 70’s. It was like Man City played 2 seasons ago. Simple, clever passing and attacking. Unfortunately, West Ham could not sustain it for more than 10 minutes at a time but it was wonderful to watch while it lasted. The principal originated with Ron Greenwood who passed on to John Lyle. Of course the players were a bit special too. What would we give for a Devonshire, Moore and Brooking now. Harry on the wing, don’t get me started.
As Richard says “The West Ham” way is a load of cobblers invented by the Media.
I’’ve supported the club many years and the only way we used to know ( and recently !) is getting beat most weeks !
We want a team that’s competitive, don’t roll over and try to entertain – which I believe
is what football is about.
Not much to ask from a bunch of blokes getting paid millions of quid to kick a ball about, is it ?
I do not know when/how the phrase originated, but personally, the West Ham Way has always meant skill, talent, heart & passion with a bit of iron in there 😊 with the inclusion of the Academy a vital part of it all.
I read Trevor Brooking’s Scrapbook on the club site. Ron Greenwood’s style of play inspired by the Magyars, the club famous for playing elegant football, along with the bite of Billy Bonds, the passion of all the Academy players in the team – sounds like a good example of what it might mean. To me anyhow, but I’m no footballing encyclopedia. The outside media chatter is just external noise – how could they know?
Who is they?
Listen I’ve been supporting West Ham all my life(which is a long time) and still go now and in all the conversations i have had with fellow supporters throughout the years the “West Ham Way” has never ever been spoken about.
It’s a myth brought about by the media who are obsessed with it.
What I can say is that the west ham way is not sitting back with defending the priority in which Moyes, Lopetiqui and Potter could never understand
👍