Nuno Espirito Santo made some very strange decisions on Monday night against Brentford, but at least the continued inclusion of Alphonse Areola over Mads Hermansen was a call very much justified.
On a day when the West Ham fans questioned Nuno Espirito Santo for the first time since he replaced Graham Potter – Ollie Scarles at right-back, no centre-forward, and Andy Irving ahead of Soungoutou Magassa, really? – at least one of his calls had the desired effect.
Nuno insists that Mads Hermansen’s time will come at the London Stadium. But for now, he is picking up where Potter left off by putting his faith in the older, more experienced Alphonse Areola.
In truth, Areola restricted Brentford to just two goals in East London. Without him, the Bees could have racked up a scoreline more reflective of the staggering gulf between the two sides. Though, with his 33rd birthday approaching and having made his fair share of mistakes too in the last year or so, Areola’s return to the XI is rather damning in itself.
Especially considering that West Ham, only a few months ago, paid £18 million for what was supposed to be his immediate replacement.
Linus Kandolin, the goalkeeping coach who joined in July and departed alongside Potter in September, was disappointed to see his spell in the English capital cut short. There is one glovesman he loved working with at Rush Green, meanwhile.
It wasn’t Hermansen or Areola, however, but a 19-year-old Finlay Herrick.
Photo by Pete Norton/Getty ImagesLinus Kandolin explains what makes West Ham United youngster Finlay Herrick special
Speaking to Goalkeeper.com, former Elfsborg and Ostersunds coach Kandolin shone some light on the role he played during that brief stint at West Ham. He was the assistant to lead goalkeeping coach Casper Ankergren.
This meant that Kandolin’s role was more focused on the club’s best Under-21 talent, and those on the verge of a senior breakthrough. Herrick, for instance.
The 19-year-old was West Ham’s starting goalkeeper at Under-21 level last season. He thrived as Mark Robson’s side finished an impressive fourth in the Premier League 2 table.
And though the teenager is making a reputation for himself as something of a penalty-saving specialist, Robson highlighted Herrick’s ‘excellent’ ball-playing talents. Something Kandolin spotted as well, before green-lighting a loan move to non-league outfit Boreham Wood.
“When I work with an older, more experienced goalkeeper, I never throw all my thoughts or methodologies at him. I discuss and give him some parts, which he can put into his way of working. With a younger goalkeeper, I give them more tools,” says Kandolin, who learned a lot from Herrick as well as the other way around.
“I wouldn’t necessarily tell Fin how to act in the build-up, because he’s so good at it and his way works for him. I would rather take stuff from him and put it into my methodology.
“We also had big help from Billy Lepine, the goalkeeper coach in the Under-21s. We had weekly meetings to discuss the goalkeepers and what would be the best journey for them.
“We sent Fin on loan to Boreham Wood in Non-League. He needed a new challenge and to play men’s football.”
Kandolin admits that decision was made in an attempt to get Herrick used to the physicality of the senior game.
“He’s unbelievably good on the ball, but he needs to challenge himself by commanding his area and defending the box,” the 34-year-old adds.
“We try to see what goalkeepers are good at and where they need to improve. Every goalkeeper will have a different pathway, but our main objective was to put that time into individual improvement.”
Kandolin eyes England return as he prepares for Graham Potter reunion
Herrick earned a first call-up to England’s Under-20s on the back of his ‘stellar’ form at Meadow Park. He has kept five clean sheets while only conceding five times across nine matches so far. Only Rochdale are keeping Boreham Wood off the top of the table as they eye promotion into the EFL.
In the meantime, Kandolin is set to join Graham Potter’s Sweden staff ahead of November’s World Cup qualifying double-header, albeit on a short-term basis.
A man who helped Hakon Valdimarsson secure a move to Brentford on the back of his stellar displays at Elfsborg, though, obviously feels he has unfinished business in English football.
“I would say [I want to work at] the highest possible level,” Kandolin explains. “I want to challenge myself. I want to see how I can use my methodology of working after three months in the Premier League.
“I would say my main aim right now would be the Championship and to prove myself at an English level. I would never close any doors. I’m quite open-minded. I don’t need to lock myself into anything right now.”