A top Nottingham Forest journalist has delivered a brutally honest verdict on what West Ham can expect from new head coach Nuno Espirito Santo — but he will make one player ‘world class’.
It has been an open secret for two weeks that West Ham were looking to replace Graham Potter with Nuno Espirito Santo.
There is no lack of irony in the appointment given Nuno was sacked after a 3-0 defeat to West Ham – Potter’s only win in six games this season.
There were two key reasons for the sudden timing of the big double West Ham announcement on Saturday.
Nottingham Forest have not won a game since Nuno was sacked after his much-publicised fallout with owner Evangelos Marinakis.
That has added further gloss to the impressive job the Portuguese appeared to do at the City Ground, where he led Nottingham Forest back into Europe.
Top Forest journalist says Nuno will make West Ham star world class
There has been much debate in West Ham circles about the best man to succeed Potter.
Hammers fans have called for an end to short-term fixes from the owners.
Nuno has been handed a three-year deal – longer than any contracts ever offered to David Moyes, Julen Lopetegui or Potter.
So whether this is the West Ham board’s attempt to avoid Nuno being viewed as a short-term fix remains to be seen.
Supporters have been pondering whether Nuno will be the right fit for the club.
There have been some concerns West Ham will revert to a similar style of play to Moyes.
While the Scot was the most successful manager of the modern era in east London, the approach wore thin towards the end, especially when it stopped getting results.
From the outside looking in, Nuno appears to favour a defensive, counter-attacking style like Moyes.
But few West Ham fans will be experts on the Tricky Trees.
So Hammers News has spoken to one.
A top Nottingham Forest journalist says Nuno Espirito Santo will make one West Ham star world class in a brutally honest verdict on the appointment.
If there is anything Lee Clarke of Nottingham Forest News doesn’t know about the Tricky Trees, it probably isn’t worth knowing.
Clarke has been watching the fortunes of the Reds home and away for over 25 years and is based in Nottinghamshire.
Nuno wanted West Ham quartet but expect no-frills
Published by Four Four Two, World Soccer and having worked for several EFL clubs, his opinion is well-informed.
So West Ham fans will be interested in Clarke’s take on the appointment of Forest’s former boss at the London Stadium.
He says Nuno will make Crysencio Summerville ‘world class’ and points out that he wanted him at Forest in the summer with the Anthony Elanga money.
In fact Clarke says Nuno also wanted two other West Ham stars, suggesting the team may be well placed to operate under his approach.
It is that approach which forms the most damning part of Clarke’s assessment, though, as a word of caution is issued to expectant Hammers supporters.
“It’s hard to be sure how he’ll do at West Ham, but Summerville will be world class,” Clarke told Hammers News.
“Solid if unspectacular I would have to say would be the lasting memory of Nuno at Forest. Let me explain.
“He came in to replace Steve Cooper which, after all he’d achieved, was a thankless task. Early wins against Newcastle and Man United got the fans on side but although he kept us up, there were still reservations over his long-term suitability for us.
“Last season was outstanding but it’s pretty fair to say we either ran out of steam or were stifled once teams had sussed out that by letting us have the ball Nuno-ball was less effective. As he took us back into Europe he naturally deserves credit but sadly – and this might be recency bias – he will be remembered as the manager who threw his toys out when he didn’t get Adama Traore!
Nuno could clash with Sullivan over West Ham’s ‘basket case’ recruitment
“From the outside of West Ham looking in I would say that Moyes got them into Europe regularly and won a European trophy, right now would the fans take that? I’d say they would.
“The style of play would be a concern, although with Summerville, Mateus Fernandes, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Soungoutou Magassa all in place, Nuno would have four players at his disposal who he wanted to bring to Forest this summer.”
Given Nuno fell out with Marinakis over transfers, it was put to Clarke whether that could potentially make relations with Hammers majority owner David Sullivan difficult.
“This is my big concern,” Clarke added.
“He’s essentially left Forest because he wants to be a head coach who picks the players and in the modern era that just doesn’t happen. West Ham’s recruitment looks like a complete and utter basket case at the moment and with that in mind, I just don’t see this as a viable long-term solution for the Hammers.”
And what about Nuno as a character? West Ham fans found Potter painfully dull and bland, will Nuno be any different?
“Absolutely not! Apologies to sound really defeatist but in over 30 years supporting Forest, I don’t remember any other manager boring the life out of me in press conferences than Nuno,” Clarke said.
“In his defence, he doesn’t like them, he’s open about that. You can literally rinse and repeat his answers from one week to the next.
“What I would say is that his demeanour in press conferences, isn’t the real Nuno. The players at Forest absolutely loved him and his work in the community was unlike any other manager we have seen, with special focus placed on Warriors United, with Nuno often taking time out to spend days with the team set up for children and young adults with learning disabilities.”
