After weeks of ‘will he, won’t he’ back and forth social media posts, one of the long running sagas has been resolved and Nuno Espírito Santo has finally got his man signed at West Ham United.
However the news is tinged with a pinch of wistfulness as it heralds the confirmation of a departure too. Despite assistant manager Paco Jemez seeming to suggest he was ‘up’ for another season as Nuno’s assistant last week on a social media post, the Spaniard has been formally thanked and dispatched from Nuno’s coaching staff as the Irons have officially welcomed in his replacement today:
“West Ham United is delighted to confirm the appointment of Rui Pedro Silva as men’s Assistant Head Coach.
The experienced 49-year-old is reunited with Head Coach Nuno Espírito Santo, having previously worked as his assistant during successful spells at five different clubs over more than a decade.
Reunited from the old days, just with less hair now (same as the rest of us) ..Nuno And Rui Pedro Silva
The Portuguese first worked alongside Nuno at Málaga and Panathinaikos, then served as his assistant at Rio Ave, Valencia, Porto, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest.”
Rumoured last week to be in the pipeline, the appointment of Rui Pedro Silva is seen as a huge shot in the arm for West Ham’s Championship aspirations. Nuno’s best periods closely align with Silva alongside him in the dugout and the Hammers’ manager was demonstrably short on coaching depth before Jemez’ appointment last January.
Ass for Jemez, whufc.com closes the door on that chapter with:
“Paco Jemez has departed the Club after his spell as an assistant to Nuno in the second half of last season. We would like to thank Paco for his hard work and commitment during his time with us.”
The appointment will come as a relief to anyone who’d read some of the leaked concerns last season with Nuno apparently uncommunicative at half time and lass than forthcoming with some of his players: Hopefully now the pair are back together they can work together to get the Hammers off to a flying start in this division.
When you look at the quality of the players that he had at WWFC in that Championship season, it’s incredibly difficult to comprehend how they put that team together. Mind blowing, we’ll be lucky to get anywhere close to that level of acquisitions, or is that what NES is alluding to?
should have made Paco manager from what I have seen Nuno is far to tempremental