West Ham’s manager Nuno Espírito Santo has, if anything, strengthened his position at the heart of West Ham United, being very much the ‘continuity’ figure during a momentous summer in whist pretty much all else has changed at the club in five or six short weeks.
Relegation, a new board, a new head of recruitment and a new assistant manager- Nuno has been the one character who has remained in situ throughout, something of a reassuring hand on the Hammers’ steering wheel.
However as Claret and Hugh suggested yesterday, Nuno’s seeming unwillingness to re-engage with players who he has ‘beef’ with – to use my kids’ lingo – means several are now outside the training circle, seemingly high and dry very much reminiscent of Chelsea’s ‘bomb squad’.
Just as hoped, this article has evoked mixed, considered reader opinions. Here’s a couple of ‘guest posts’ to illustrate fans differing opinions:
Claret and Hugh reader “Rossi” suggests there’s still space to coach the best out of several of the ‘exiles’:
“If only WHU could salvage the gold from the ship, that could put the club in the financial position we all want and save something from the wreck.
Todibo – seemingly beyond redemption after failing out with three successive managers
I mean with Nuno’s approval try to get Todibo and Wan Bisaka back in the squad I can see value in those players because they can play and if they did perform they would increase in value. Possibly the best of both. There may be other players that the club could do something with but of course it is totally the Managers choice.
I just hate seeing our Club get so little from so much money spent. Bring on the New West Ham.”
Conversely, reader “Alans Devon Shire” believes the Manager’s position is spot on:
“No manager is going to manage players back into the squad when their attitude and petulance are what caused issues to start with. If a player like Todibo openly declares that he will never play for the manager again just because he has been substituted when he didn’t think he should be, that’s definitely the players issue, not the managers.
Todibo fell out with the 2 previous managers and with that type of attitude he could probably fall out with himself when alone in a dark room and still claim it wasn’t his fault.
Ward Prowse has a big Nuno-shaped problem at West Ham
And we all know why JWP isn’t playing for “Baldy,” – Ooops, I meant Nuno!
Realistically, the players you seem to be mentioning were all other managers buys, and some managers have their own preferences in the type of player they like….
Halfkrug never got started, missed pre season, was slow, over weight and then got injured. He was a bad last minute replacement for Duran. Then his attitude changed and he had a good pre season and looked fit. But again he started trying to write cheque’s his body couldn’t cash – and got injured again. Then his attitude decided he wanted out!
There is no Bomb Squad, just bad decisions being made by a board who ran the club in such an awful and unprofessional way. They ran out of ideas and didn’t do anything to attempt to change the direction the club was going in.”
And you? Where do you stand on the notion of a West Ham bomb squad – expensive, unwanted players effectively paid not to play or train with the match day squad whilst the club waits – in vain – for buyers for their costly services?
The way to success is a unified team, everyone pulling in the same direction. The is no room for disrupters, be that the instant tantrums from the likes of Todibo or the more subtle snide comment behind the scenes, allegedly, from the supposedly quieter characters like JWP.
You are either on the bus, behind the project, backing the manager……… or you are not. Certain players by their actions, either on or off the field, have demonstrated that they do not want to be here. Whether they are sold, loaned or forced to train on their own, I want them nowhere near the team. I back Nuno all the way.
I think Nuno’s approach is bang on. Just because the previous board over paid for these players does not mean they have what it takes to get us out the Championship and back to the Premier League. We now need a mix of youth (Academy of Football….they now need to show what they have) and experience ala Soucek and Bowen plus a couple more ideally at the back. Already the new board of got everything and some out of the Fernandes sale and if a couple more are to go, let’s get top fees for them and then build again. For me, I am very excited for this season and complete club reset. Lets build both the team and club that fans have been crying out for for years and with the potential available, the sky is the limit
I don’t know about a “Bomb Squad”, but our club has certainly made some extremely expensive mistakes in the last few years. Now we are , apparently, stuck with them. Is it not , somehow, possible to get some return from some of them ? How does a club – West Ham – make such an expensive mess up as it has done with Fullkrug, Ward Prowse, Todibo, Cornet, Pablo & many others in recent years. It can’t just be the players’ fault, can it ? Nor can it just be the Managers’s !
Players today are getting too much power, the coach/manager needs them to do what they are asked to do to make the team work. If they don’t and throw a hissy fit to show they are rebellious against his authority then what other corse of action would you take? You could try talking to them but after that for me that is it. After all team keeps loosing and managers get the sack.