Guardian journalist Jacob Steinberg certainly hasn’t sat on the fence today, with his eviscerating report tearing into West Ham and Nuno Espirito Santo’s four games at the helm. Claiming the side are a ‘shambles’ – and nobody’s disagreeing with him there – the West Ham – centric journalist provides a point by point forensic deconstruction of the Portuguese head coaches’ performance.
Claiming that is Espírito Santo is:
“Already in danger of losing mutinous supporters after naming ludicrous starting XIs during his shambolic defeats” – again, no arguments with that:
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Steinberg, writing in the guardian.com then makes the slightly more contentious case for an immediate reversing of James Ward -Prowse’s dropping from the team. Really.
Steinberg called for James Ward Prowse return – really?
“There is surely a better path than the one taken by Nuno. He has banished James Ward-Prowse even though the midfielder offers more than Irving. It is counterproductive. Ward-Prowse was not playing well under Potter and quickly fell out of favour while on loan at Nuno’s Nottingham Forest last season but he is experienced and his deliveries could come in handy in a league dominated by set pieces.”
I’d struggle to agree, for what my own opinion is worth. Ward-Prowse has been disappointing and offered nothing – since Moyes left he’s been a pedestrian and dispatching him on loan was about the only decision Julen Lopetegui got right in his nine month of chaos. Nuno Espírito Santo recognised it by sending him back from Nottingham Forest half way thorough the season!
Julen Lopetegui’s one correct decision – with the benefit of hindsight – was to send James Ward Prowse out on loan
West Ham have spent big money on both Magassa and Fernandes, who, along with Freddie Potts, have all shown an ability to pick up the slack where Ward-Prowse vacated his position and function a whole lot better: Suggesting it is ‘either Irving or Ward Prowse‘ might ignore the trio who are better than either JWP or the Scot.
However, few will disagree with his conclusion:
“If West Ham go down it will be because of David Sullivan. The club’s largest shareholder and most influential figure calls the shots. West Ham are paying the price for years of botched recruitment. Sullivan allowed Tim Steidten to waste vast sums as technical director. He then put Kyle Macaulay, who was close to Potter, in charge of recruitment. Macaulay had never been in such a high-profile position. He struggled to identify sensible signings last summer and departed after Potter’s exit.
And, somewhat depressingly – Steinberg ends on a note that every West Ham fan of a few years’ standing will recognise only too well:
“It speaks volumes that West Ham had a better record at this stage when they went down under Avram Grant in 2010-11. Who knew it was possible to be worse than that team?”