Scott Parker Wants More Of What Nuno Couldn’t Deliver At West Ham

West Ham manager Scott Parker has given supporters an early indication of the football he wants to play, and if his comments following Wednesday night’s extraordinary comeback against Cardiff City are anything to go by, I’m all for it.

The new Hammers boss has made no secret of his admiration for the team’s second-half performance, when West Ham recovered from three goals down to draw 3-3. Speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to Blackburn Rovers, Parker described the aggressive, attacking football he witnessed as precisely the sort of performance he wants to reproduce.

Now, I’m keen not to read too much into what was, in essence, just 45 minutes of football. We’ll certainly learn considerably more about Parker’s tactical intentions after the international break, when he’s had a proper opportunity to work with the players on the training pitch.

Parker Identifies His West Ham Blueprint

Speaking during his first pre-match press conference, Parker explained what he liked about the remarkable second-half performance in Cardiff.

“I think a good side would be the one that played in the second half at Cardiff. That was a team I liked – it was an aggressive team, a front-footed team, a team that took risks that was looking to score goals.”

He then added:

“Certainly, with the players we have, the second-half performance last night was exactly the sort of thing I want to see.”

I find those comments incredibly encouraging, particularly because they recognise something I’ve been saying for some time. West Ham have players who are capable of considerably more than we’ve been seeing, and the second half against Cardiff demonstrated that perfectly.

Whether the shackles were suddenly taken off tactically, I couldn’t possibly say. Parker had barely met his players before the game, and it would be ridiculous to suggest that he’s somehow transformed their tactical understanding during a half time chinwag.

What was abundantly clear, however, was that West Ham played with more belief, freedom and attacking intent than anything we witnessed under Nuno Espírito Santo. There was a willingness to take risks, attack the opposition and get players into dangerous areas, rather than endlessly recycling possession without really threatening anybody.

Bowen Shows What West Ham Are Capable Of

Perhaps the clearest demonstration of the difference was Jarrod Bowen, who looked like the best player in the Championship during that second half. The West Ham captain was absolutely unplayable, drifting into central positions, creating chances and having a hand in all three goals.

It was men against boys stuff, really, and I couldn’t help wondering why we haven’t seen more of that from Bowen and his teammates. The quality has always been there, but for whatever reason, we simply haven’t been getting enough out of it.

That doesn’t mean everything was Nuno’s fault, nor does it mean Parker has already discovered the colonels secret recipe. But it does suggest that West Ham have the ability to play with considerably more aggression and purpose than we’ve become accustomed to.

Parker himself was careful to acknowledge that almost every manager would like to play fast, free-flowing attacking football. He also recognised that the reality of management involves making decisions based on the players available and finding a system that suits them.

That’s a sensible observation, and one worth remembering before we start expecting West Ham to produce the Cardiff second half every week. Nevertheless, Parker has already seen evidence of what this squad can do, and he’s made it clear that he wants more of the same.