Winston Churchill famously said: “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
Okay, the line was nicked and tweaked from the original by George Santayana, but as a quote it’s a good’un and one West Ham would do well to remember.
Because if the latest report from The Athletic is to be believed, Nuno Espírito Santo is going to have a ‘big’ say in the club’s next Director of Football.
In effect, that means Nuno will be involved in hiring his own boss.
Madness.
To quote The Athletic:
“West Ham are keen to appoint a director of football. Sources with knowledge of the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, say head coach Nuno Espírito Santo will have a big say on the appointment.”
We’ve Been Here Before
Potter saw off Steidten and appointed Macaulay
We’ve seen this sort of thing before.
Former West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini hired his mate Mario Husillos as Director of Football, which didn’t work out particularly well.
David Moyes probably got it right when he appointed Rob Newman as Head of Recruitment, but that wasn’t a role designed to oversee a complete restructuring of football operations at the club.
Because herein lies the problem.
The Director of Football is supposed to be the person responsible for hiring the head coach.
The whole methodology behind the role is that players are recruited to fit the style and philosophy of the technical director. That allows a football club to change coaches without having to completely overhaul the playing squad every couple of years.
The usual recruitment path is to appoint a new coach who broadly fits the existing football philosophy, causing the least disruption possible.
In essence, it means the baby doesn’t get thrown out with the bathwater every time a managerial change is made.
Kyle Macaulay’s time at West Ham was very short having paid £1m to extract him from his contract at Chelsea
West Ham Never Seem To Learn
Former West Ham Director of Football Tim Steidten said on numerous occasions that he needed five years to implement his strategy, which sounds about right.
Unfortunately, we never got to see whether that appointment would bear fruit.
What followed was Karren Brady appointing Graham Potter, who then brought in West Ham’s next football figure in Kyle Macaulay, his long-time recruitment ally from Brighton, Chelsea and Swansea.
If the whole thing sounds ridiculous, that’s because it is.
West Ham are painfully poor at this stuff.
Nobody wanted relegation, of course, but I was rather hopeful it might allow the club to reset and finally move away from the bad habits that have contributed to the gradual decline we’ve witnessed over recent years.
Unfortunately, it seems the lessons haven’t been learned.
My biggest fear is that we’ve simply moved from a situation where David Sullivan relied on family friend Will Salthouse for recruitment to a very similar model where Nuno relies on Jorge Mendes.
The Director Of Football Must Be In Charge
No doubt Daniel Křetínský’s intentions are good when it comes to appointing a Director of Football.
But it is imperative that any such appointment is allowed to run the entire football operation, particularly recruitment.
There is no way the manager should have a significant say in the appointment.
I’ve always held that view, irrespective of who the manager happens to be.
For that reason, if The Athletic report is accurate, I suspect Křetínský’s attempts to move away from agent-led squad building will ultimately fail.
Gonzo it doesn’t seem the right way to go about your business does it, the only thing we can hope is that Nuno and the new director of football get on well together and less arguments means a more successful combination. If this happens Sulivan may find it harder to pressure the club into getting players that don’t suit. Just trying to be positive mate.
What I don’t understand is who dictates the style of football we play if hiring a DOF. I want to see dynamic quick football that is exciting to watch. Now who or what says that is the type of manager we should be looking for. I imagine that Nuno would like a DOF who is far more defensively minded.
Nuno cannot be swayed by periphral sources, eg agents/friends/Sullivan/Kretinsky.
Appreciate discussion needs to happen within whu.
Nuno needs to put forward his requirements to DoF and maybe suggestions.
There will need to be meetings with Sullivan/Kretinsky regarding costs.
This information passed onto DoF who then gets scouts to supply 2/3 different players for various positions.
None of the principal group involved should be working on their own.
Decisions should be harmonious to avoid back stabbing and finger pointing allowing players to become alienated.
Nuno has recognised that he needs Paco and this underlines the situation with a DoF.
Regarding players we know how whu love a freebie both Wilson and Traore would be good for championship.
Their goals combined with Tatys could become a force to be reckoned with.
These are seasoned players who could help academy players tremendously.
I disagree at points IE the manager and the new appointment MUST get on as we all know moyes and Sniden never I equally belive only the manager knows how he wants to play so must have a say in requretment of the team We all know Sullivan hasn’t got a clue So people that know should be working togetherNo 1 person can get it right all the time as we have learned
I’d be surprised if much of this change didn’t come from Mendes convincing Křetínský that he can help fix things as West Ham. People like Křetínský network heavily and will have plenty of people giving him advice. Křetínský personally won’t have the time (or desire) to fix West Ham himself and will just find someone he thinks has a viable model. Director of Football and Manager aligned with agent who can find resell able talent from a wide geographic network. Mendes and Nuno talk about who the next DOF will be and insiders report that as Nuno having a big say in the decision.
I’m sorry Gonzo but this doesn’t work here. The manager has to have the final say in recruitment otherwise you end up with what we have recently suffered. How can you blame a manager for not performing when all the players have been picked by someone else it just doesn’t add up. However much you try to bring in a manager to suit the club there are always players that don’t fit with what he wants to do. Nuno clearly will not use a player he doesn’t trust and it can be as much to do with personality as it is with playing style. The Moyes era proved this. You must pick the manager that suits the club and then let him have the final say on whose recruited. Steidten who when he came was supposed to be one of the best dof’s available, what a disaster that was!