While we were all still revelling in the delight of a weekend ridiculing those arrogant spuds from the north side of London, courtesy of that dramatic 93rd minute winner from Callum Wilson, a little lightbulb moment had switched on in the head of a certain diminutive individual in leafy Essex.
This wasn’t just a victory for the team and the fans, it was a way to score points over a Head Coach who had become rather bolshie and demanding in recent weeks. For those of us who like to keep an eye on what goes on backstage at Circus London Stadium, as well as out front, what transpired was a definite push-back at Nuno Espirito Santo.Nuno has been making it abundantly clear in this window if he was going to do the job he’d been brought in to do – namely preserve our Premier League status – he would do it his way and with his players. Not to mention with his preferred agent – Jorge Mendes rather than Sully’s bestie Will Salthouse.
Wilson’s goal was a gift from heaven for our porn baron! Cue the Chairman’s number one stooge site (via a club source as always) galvanised into action to remind us: “Wilson was the only ‘board’ signing of the summer, and the West Ham board will not sanction his exit. The board feel they need his services for the remainder of the season and will do what is required to keep him in the squad.”
There are plenty who would consider such a statement detrimental to the Head Coach and his authority. An unwanted interference in team matters. But that’s to ignore the workings of this particular individual’s mind.
For his part, in a post-match interview, Nuno had already addressed the rumours that had been swirling around Wilson prior to the Tottenham game. That his time at the club was about to come to an end. Some of our over enthusiastic sites had even reported he’d already packed his bags and left the circus.
A fact blown out the water by Callum’s appearance on the bench. “Rumours, rumours, rumours,” said Nuno with a grin on his face when he faced the cameras. “We do things properly. Every player that is in the building (the White Hart Lane Stadium) I give them the day off tomorrow. We count on them and support them. They need to help us.”
That didn’t sound like a “thank you and goodnight Mr Wilson” message to me. But ‘someone’ clearly felt there was still mileage in the situation, hence the chief stooge being called to arms.
Nuno’s insistence in bringing in his two preferred striking options at the start of the transfer window was in stark contrast to our recent experiences in the transfer market, where negotiations were always protracted, and bids ranged from ridiculous to positively outrageous. Resulting, as often was the case, with no deal at all.
Taty Castellanos and Pablo Felipe arrived early for a combined figure in region of £50m, which in itself would have hurt our chairman’s delicate pocket. Clearly those two would be Nuno’s first choice pairing, but Wilson could still be an asset – and the head coach would have been well aware of that without being told.
His goal-scoring prowess was never in doubt, but his fitness has to be an issue. It was for Graham Potter during his time at the start of the season, and prior to that for Eddie Howe while he was with Newcastle. Nuno is no different to those two.
Wilson was far from everyone’s choice of striker when he first arrived at the London Stadium. Negativity was rife and criticism of his arrival was fierce – together with condemnation of Sullivan once again going for a cheap option. But managed carefully he’s proved he can still score goals – and crucial ones at that.
Pablo and Taty are always likely to be Nuno’s first choice, but the head coach will also know Callum Wilson offers a valuable alternative on the pitch. Plus he’s an experienced and wise old head off it – and that makes him a useful character to have in and around the dressing room when the tension mounts, as it surely will over the remainder of the season.
Sullivan may think he’s scored points here – but in reality the only points that really matter right now are those won on the pitch – and that will be down to the manager and the players, not the Chairman.
* Like to share your thoughts on this article? Please visit the KUMB Forum to leave a comment.
* Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the highlighted author/s and do not necessarily represent or reflect the official policy or position of KUMB.com.
