Nuno Espirito Santo has delivered a powerful message to West Ham outcasts Jean-Clair Todibo and James Ward-Prowse.
Nuno Espirito Santo has been a much-needed breath of fresh air at West Ham so far.
And he has breathed new life into the players and fans after another dismal calendar year for the Hammers.
A host of West Ham stars have been raving about Nuno since his arrival.
Not everyone will be loving life under the Portuguese so far, though.
Especially James Ward-Prowse and Jean-Clair Todibo.
Nuno’s £62m problem duo at West Ham
Graham Potter was a soft touch at West Ham – the passive, insipid performances of his team and his words and actions were all the evidence needed of that.
Nuno is anything but and it’s already showed with his treatment of Ward-Prowse and Todibo.
The new Hammers boss made the ruthless decision to drop Ward-Prowse from his entire squad for the games against Everton and Arsenal.
West Ham fans had been banging their heads against the wall seeing Ward-Prowse start week in, week out despite his poor form and lack of impact.
While the vast majority were delighted to see Nuno immediately correct that, some questioned the decision to omit the midfielder from the squad altogether, feeling it a touch harsh.
French defender Todibo is another who has found himself frozen out of the squad by Nuno.
Todibo has only just been permanently signed for £32m in the summer but his Hammers future already looks to be hanging in the balance.
Italian clubs are circling to sign Todibo from West Ham in the January transfer window according to a top transfer reporter.
It comes as the 25-year-old’s Hammers career hits a new low with Nuno dropping him from the squad along with Ward-Prowse.
That’s £62m worth of signings ostracised from the very start.
Nuno’s message to West Ham outcasts Todibo and Ward-Prowse
When any new manager steps in at a football club, they have their idea of which faces fit and those who don’t.
However, usually the arrival of a new manager means a clean slate for all.
That’s not exactly how Nuno sees it.
But the Hammers boss has sent a pointed 11-word warning to Todibo and Ward-Prowse — making it crystal clear where he stands on players who he has been leaving out.
Ward-Prowse is clearly one of the unfancied players Nuno has inherited, especially after he saw his loan at Forest cut short last season having barely featured.
Something may have gone on at Forest which means their relationship is beyond repair.
Todibo, though, is very different.
The former Barca defender has no previous history with Nuno.
But he did have a falling out with both Julen Lopetegui and Potter before Nuno came along.
In fact it’s been claimed Potter called Todibo into his office and told him to up his effort levels in West Ham’s training sessions.
The defender’s alleged response was to turn up late to training the next day.
Nuno will be aware of that having taken West Ham’s Academy coaches on as his first team staff.
Nuno reassures outcasts their time will come to prove useful
So whether Todibo now has to earn the right to get back in remains to be seen.
But Nuno has made it clear even Ward-Prowse and Todibo are not necessarily finished in east London.
However, they must be ready when the time comes to prove themselves to him.
Speaking about his decision to stick with Alphonse Areola over new signing Mads Hermansen, Nuno threw the gauntlet down to his entire squad, including Todibo and Ward-Prowse.
“All players will get their chances,” Nuno promised in an interview with Danish TV, as reported on Tipsbladet.
“It is a new start.”
New start clearly doesn’t translate as clean slate as far as Nuno sees things at West Ham.
But what is clear is that Todibo and Ward-Prowse must be consummate professionals and be ready to prove themselves if and when they do get used by the manager.
Their attitude towards that situation could well dictate whether they get a second – or third in Ward-Prowse’s case – chance at their West Ham careers or are among the first out of the door in January.
