Since preseason started West Ham’s belatedly reshaped first team squad has had a pretty full – on two months. Eleven competitive fixtures since August 8th with, it has to be said, just the one loss- is a fairly heavy work load.
At one stage five games in fifteen days took its toll one a couple of sets of tired legs with Joel Veltman, Taty Castellanos and Pablo Felipe missing games through injury.
West Ham already have one new squad member on the sick list after eleven competitive fixtures: Joel Veltman missed out against Millwall
The players now have the rare luxury of three weeks with no football to recover and work on the training ground to prepare for the next tranche of games that will be similarly intense, the Queens Park Rangers fixture on October 9th heralding a run of eighteen games in three months, pretty much unbroken.
So, unsurprisingly, according to our source, Nuno has decided to allow his squad to decompress:
“West Ham’s players have been given some much needed time off”
Hardly a surprise in view of the schedule that has gone before and that which is yet to come: 400mile round trips await with journeys to Blackburn, Cardiff and Swansea all up and coming in the next tranche of games – that will certainly test fan stamina, if not that of the players themselves.
On the positive side both Tomas Soucek and hopefully (!)Alphonse Areola will be back at full fitness when the Championship gets going again next month. Midfielder Soucek would certainly have been a useful asset against the Lions on Saturday.
Let the train take the strain.
Veltman, Boiro, Soucek, Aerolo, Alvarez, Magassa get whole team playing.
Think it’s actually 2 losses in all competitive games. Charlton and Fulham.
Asked my boss if i can have a week off as i’m feeling tired…he told me take all the time i want as he has someone younger and fitter who can come in and do the job……..needless to say i was in at 5am this morning.
Martin not to many years back Teams had much smaller squads played mostly twice a week on mud ridden pitches with no subs allowed at all Didnt hear them complaining They did it because they loved the game
No substitutes? So as recently as 60 years ago?
Nick when you reach 75 mate any past time dosnt seem 5 minutes ago
No substitutes? So as recently as 60 years ago?
Those were the days when it was worthwhile ‘accidentally’ crippling the goalie. Bobby Moore or Glenn Hoddle picking up the gloves!
Happy days Nick. Toe caps on the boots. Nails holding the studs on. No shin pads. Referees in black and always right. Sigh! Oh – and up to £8 per week if you were any good.
COYI