Inside Nuno’s Eight-Hour Days At Rush Green

By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)

It would be fair to say there was a certain amount of sadness when Nuno Espírito Santo decided not to renew Paco Jémez’s contract at West Ham.

The Spaniard very quickly became a fan favourite after arriving at the London Stadium in January to help out Espírito Santo, who up until that point had been relying on academy coaches to bolster his backroom staff.

Paco’s arrival coincided with the Hammers’ upturn in form and, whilst it wasn’t quite enough to save us from relegation, there was certainly enough evidence to suggest he should have been retained.

But Nuno had other ideas, and who can blame him?

Ultimately, a manager has to be comfortable with the staff working alongside him and, instead, he decided to reunite with his long-time football partner Rui Pedro Silva.

Back Together Again

Up until now we’ve heard very little from the coach who helped Espírito Santo guide Wolves to promotion from the Championship, a trick West Ham fans will be hoping the pair can repeat this season.

Speaking to West Ham United’s official website, Silva explained why his partnership with Nuno has stood the test of time.

“I have known Nuno for a long time, since 2006. He was a player at Porto, I was assistant manager at Porto, so we’ve known each other for a long time.

“So I think the good thing is I know Nuno as a player, and then we worked with each other as two assistants, and then he was manager and invited me to work with him.

“So I think we know each other really well, to know when to talk about things, when to step out, where he needs me and, sometimes, where he needs me to fill in the gaps. I think that’s the main reason why. And then the knowledge about football that we have about each other. I think we’ve got the same ideas, the same thoughts, so I think that’s why it works so well.”

Long Days At Rush Green

Silva also revealed just how much time the pair are spending at Rush Green preparing for what promises to be a gruelling Championship campaign.

“Sometimes the relationship between us, it’s so important to give my thoughts and to know where to give them, to say ‘no’, to say ‘yes’, where we change it or not. I think this kind of understanding between me and him is very important.

“We’ve got a very good relationship, to be honest, but we spend eight hours at the training ground each day.”

All West Ham fans can hope is that the hard work pays off.

And, with new signings expected following the departure of Crysencio Summerville, Espírito Santo and Silva should soon have an even stronger squad to work with as they chase an immediate return to the Premier League.