The contrasts couldn’t be greater between West Ham and Nottingham Forest right now. Forest are flying high under boss Nuno Espírito Santo, sitting second in the Premier League ahead of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. They have a fantastic team spirit under their head coach who joined just over year ago when they were close to relegation.
West Ham however sit with no defined style of play, no sense of team unity, accounts of player unease and dressing room bust-ups rife and several who are desperate to leave in January. Thirteenth flatters Lopetegui as only the bottom three clubs have conceded more goals this season.
How has Espírito Santo managed the turnaround? With just a couple of additions but by bringing his team together rather than creating dressing room rifts, is how. An article from theguardian offers a telling insight into where Lopetegui’s approach is flawed.
As Nuno advises :”We did it without conflict. I told them they did it because they are a nice group of people. And then we have built on all the aspects. But first the bond and then it all started. That is the priority. My belief is that this is the priority for everything, if you don’t work together, how can you build something?”
But first the bond. Without conflict. Work together! That caused a wry smile.
Look at the contrast. Lopetegui has dressing room bust-ups with Mohammed Kudus. Jarrod Bowen has to separate him from Jean-Clair Todibo after another confrontation. Alvarez, Paquetá, Kudus, Todibo, Fullkrug and Rodriguez actively seek to leave in January.
Team spirit – how much the players want to fight for each other – is now non-existent as we saw yesterday. Manchester City and Aston Villa await.
Why are West Ham waiting to dismiss the head coach who drives the team further apart? It only creates a deeper hole for who ever follows him.
As Nottingham Forest head towards the Champions League, West Ham head towards a new level of fan apathy and disillusionment which may take months to unravel ( season ticket holders don’t get refunds, they just don’t renew) but when it does unravel, it will surely condemn the club to a Leeds-like fall from grace unless it is arrested. Now.
