The news that West Ham United had appointed Nuno Espírito Santo for their forthcoming Championship season was generally well received by fans who have seen the Portuguese head coach up close and personal during the highs and lows – there have been many ‘lows’ – of the last nine months.
Perhaps a case of ‘better the devil you know’ despite his odd selections early on in his reign, Nuno seems well qualified to win a first-time promotion bid next season and has in depth knowledge of the players he’ll want to keep and those he is prepared to sell.
Which, for one player, spells ‘time to go’ loud and clear.
Having declared he ‘would not play again under Nuno Espírito Santo‘ after being subbed in the 25th minute against Newcastle, the enigma that is Jean-Clair Todibo has inevitably conjured up his own West Ham p45 just one year after the club paid an expensive £35 million obligation clause to make his 2024 loan permanent.
Going, going, gone: Fernandes, Todibo and Wilson
Todibo has the talent to go all the way and has shown remarkable strength of character to recover from the dreadful leg injuries he suffered as a child: The trouble is that perhaps makes him headstrong and petulant. He is probably the only West Ham player in the current squad who has fallen out with three managers in succession.
Once is unfortunate, two is worrying but to have a trio of bust-ups behind him in the two brief years at West Ham shouts ‘troublemaker’ and Nuno will have pencilled in his name just below that of James Ward Prowse for ‘disposal’ this summer.
All of which is likely to be good news only for former academy graduates Kaelan Casey and Ezra Mayers: Both may now find their first team futures accelerated once Todibo has been sold in the summer window as West Ham set about another defensive rebuild: It remains to be seen whether Mavropanos and Kilman will still be at the club come August – speculation has been that Nuno doesn’t want Kilman who is most likely to be heading out on loan.
Not to mention “I’m building the team around pac man “ only to see him sold off .
He didn’t treat Wilson very well early on too
So Nuno doesn’t want Todibo, JWP, Fulkrug or Kilman. An understandable position but why make it so obvious. How are we ever going to sell these players who cost a lot of money and remain on expensive contracts.
I certainly question his man management skills
Todibo may be a disruptive influence, and if so, that is something West Ham definitely do not need, but I would say that also reflects badly on Nuno and Bowen. Nuno has had more inexplicable moments than most in that organization and I doubt very much if he will still be at West Ham come Christmas 2027. As for Bowen, he is a class act in so many ways but a captain he is definitely not. He obviously does not command the dressing room as he should, and any disruptive influence is as much his responsibility as anyone’s. The rebuilding needs to address the captain’s position as a priority. Close scrutiny also needs to be applied to all of the academy prospects. Giving them an opportunity in the first team is only a small part and one that most of them don’t seem to get past, and that is down to Nuno also. All that being said, as of today, nothing has changed at the top with both Sullivan and Kretinsky as uninspiring as ever.
As much as I love Bowen and what he brings to the club, if he’s told that he’s not captain next season I think he’ll be off.