A lot has already been written about incoming West Ham manager Scott Parker, and I make absolutely no apologies for being excited about his appointment.
To be crystal clear, Parker probably wouldn’t have been my first choice. But I’d reached the conclusion that Nuno Espírito Santo was incapable of taking West Ham forward, and with the club desperately needing to revive its Championship promotion campaign, a change was essential.
Is Scott Parker capable of doing that? Absolutely. As Claret & Hugh has confirmed through its own sources at West Ham, Parker is set to become the Hammers’ new head coach. And I believe there are two particular qualities that could make him exactly what this team needs.
Scott Parker’s Championship Record Speaks For Itself
I understand there are reservations about Parker’s record in the Premier League, and perhaps even the football his Burnley team played during their most recent promotion campaign.
After all, Burnley had the meanest defence in the Championship, and some supporters are understandably concerned that West Ham might be replacing one cautious manager with another.
But far from viewing that defensive record as a negative, I’d suggest West Ham desperately need somebody capable of improving our back line.
We’ve looked disorganised defensively for far too long, and a manager who can actually get players defending properly would be a welcome change.
Espirito Santo could not fix West Ham’s defence
Not that I want us to be boring, of course.
I also believe Parker is capable of getting more out of the players in attack, particularly the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Divine Mukasa and Lewis Orford.
And there’s something else worth remembering.
Parker has achieved promotion from the Championship with Fulham, Bournemouth and Burnley. Three promotions with three different clubs.
That’s not a bad record for somebody being brought in to do precisely the same job at West Ham.
Two Qualities West Ham Desperately Need
I’m often reminded of something former Blackburn Rovers manager Mark Hughes said about signing striker Roque Santa Cruz.
Hughes explained that he’d watched the player countless times but decided to concentrate on what he could do rather than obsessing over his flaws.
It’s something that has always stuck in my mind.
And I think it’s particularly relevant when assessing Parker.
Rather than concentrating exclusively on his shortcomings, I’d prefer to focus on two qualities that I believe could make an enormous difference at West Ham.
The first is his personality.
Parker is an infectious character and a motivational speaker. He’s somebody who communicates with passion and conviction, and I believe that alone could make a considerable difference to this squad.
In short, I think he’s a far better communicator than Nuno Espírito Santo.
That might sound like a relatively small thing, but I don’t believe it is.
West Ham have looked like a team lacking confidence, direction and motivation for much of this season.
A manager who can get his message across clearly and make players believe in what they’re doing could transform performances without changing a single member of the squad.
Parker’s Passion Could Transform West Ham’s Starts
The second quality is his passion.
One of my biggest frustrations with Espírito Santo was his apparent inability to address West Ham’s dreadful starts to football matches.
Time and again, we’d begin games slowly, allow opponents to take control and then spend the rest of the afternoon trying to recover.
It was a problem Nuno repeatedly acknowledged but never seemed capable of fixing.
And I suspect motivation played a significant part in that.
Whatever else people might say about Parker, I find it difficult to imagine his players routinely wandering onto the pitch looking half asleep. He’ll have them fired up, motivated and ready to compete from the opening whistle.
Of course, enthusiasm alone isn’t enough to win football matches.
But Parker also has the tactical experience to back it up.
He’s demonstrated that he understands the Championship, knows how to organise a team and can put together a successful promotion campaign.
I certainly don’t expect him to be out-thought tactically by virtually every opposition manager, which increasingly appeared to be the case under Nuno.
And while there will undoubtedly be questions about how Parker’s methods translate to the Premier League, that’s a discussion for another day.
West Ham aren’t in the Premier League.
We’re in the Championship, and our immediate priority is getting out of it.
Scott Parker has already demonstrated on three separate occasions that he knows exactly how to do that.
In short, Scotty P understands this Championship stuff considerably better than Nuno ever appeared to.
And I don’t see too much wrong with appointing a specialist for the job.