The sense of relief around the stadium and the fan base was palpable last night as West Ham shrugged off their relegation hangover – for brief periods- and through a combination of good luck and good football put four past one of their main promotion rivals.
From the relief shown by Nuno and his coaching team when the fourth went in, there was evidence that the hangover wasn’t confined to the players: The trio hugged but still looked more concerned than relieved as the Hammers went to what should have been an unassailable lead.
Alan Pardew had it right when he suggested that Nuno would be suffering in silence as a result of the relegation, along with the players, trying to present a confident front yet privately wondering what on earth went wrong, how he’d failed and why he couldn’t save the club from the drop.
Perhaps now the old Ted Lasso cliche will start to play out in real life and the coaching staff and players will really start to ‘believe’.
That West Ham starting XI – plus the new additions that have bolstered the squad and at least given Nuno some decent options from the bench – has proved it is is good enough to go and stick three or four goals past anyone.
Just keep doing it and the season will look after itself.
The ‘belief’ may start flooding back again
The more I watch, the more it seems the problem isn’t the selection, the tactics, the formation – just the total, utter lack of confidence after the trauma of a season at the bottom end of the league and a huge failure that none of the coaching staff or players bar Mads Hermansen have experienced in their careers.
And then maybe that win will prove to be a small step back in the right direction. We’ll find out again soon enough since the next game is just three days away.
Still get the impression that the 4-2-1-3 system leaves the team more open, but it is an attacking setup for sure. We saw the same with Fernandes & Soucek, 2 very good players making the system work but the opponent nevertheless can come striding through, but only at times – well, that’s my theory anyhow. In Mukasa, NES has a DM and bob-to-box midfielder (the kind of role I imagine for an improved/coached Magassa) who like Fernandes makes the system work and is even better getting forwards.
Re. the idea that there is a relegation hangover, I think that Bowen, so maybe Taty as well from what we’ve read recently, perhaps both think they need to be the ones to win games for WHU and it is a self-imposed pressure that can be undermining.
If the team around them, keep putting in convincing performances that idea will go away.
As Jeeps says in other comments, hope Bowen has a replacement, so he can rest even if he had a good game – he looks tired out & he runs miles every match. Incredible.
Looks as though NES went to his favoured 4-2-1-3 and it worked, Pablo playing very well and showing his skills and Mukasa with Engels is a great midfield to have.
Also have Orford, Kante as a good duo and the team have played well at times with a 4-3-3 so I hope we will see the 2 systems being used. NES seems to be building his squad and using different players in readiness of a long season.
There is a lot going in training it seems, because improvements are showing on the pitch. Scarles was very much more involved in this match, even putting in some dangerous crosses with his right foot and regularly passing down the line with his left giving Solomon something to run onto – that is new.
Think Piroe & Taty each bring something slightly different to the same position and glad NES played Piroe whose link up play and tight control is very effective. Perhaps your remarks about a relegation hangover Martin, show in the likes of Bowen & Taty. Pablo seems immune.
If manage to tighten up in defence, WHU have just shown they can take on teams in the Championship and more. Nice to put 4 past cocky Wolves and their manager. Return match will be spicy.
Having lost 20+ players since relegation, the hangover is less on the players, more on the organisation?
Maybe we can bang in the goals and 4 against one of our main rivals is impressive but our defence is still our weakness and I don’t see that improving.