Nuno In

[Eerie Decent]

Welcome, Nuno son.

Not my first choice, wish we were more forward looking and all that. But he's here, and to be honest, he's probably what we need given everything we all know is wrong with the club and the team at present.

Positives are he was a goalkeeper, so he'll surely make the best decision on that front going forward. Hermansen has looked shocking, but those that had watched him regularly all rated him, so who knows, maybe in a different set up he might not be so bad, but expect Areloa to be first choice.

Brought Kilman into the Wolves team, and built him into a player we were stupid enough to pay £40mil for. Can't see if myself, but maybe he'll make him look competent, whatever way, the defence will improve under him. It can't not. And set pieces against us won't feel like penalty's.

He favours attacking fullbacks who get forward, and ours are suited to that. JWP won't start from now. The biggest positive of this appointment. He loves wingers, and we have one of the best in the league in Bowen, a rapid one in Summerville, and Guilherme will hopefully get some game time as back up in a style that will suit him. Fullkrug can maybe be our Chris Wood. Probably not, but lets hope so.

Ovbviously he's a counter attacking manager, but I don't think he's from the last 2 years of Moyes playbook. Hopefully it'll be the early version of Moyes, with quicker pressing and faster counter attacking. Let's fucking hope so. I remember Forest beating someone 7-0, and they scored loads of goals throughout the season.

The main problem remains, but fucking hell, this change was needed.

[Pub Bigot]

Well done mods for sourcing a Nuno icon.

I am mildly confident after last evening's performance and game management that he has the balls, charisma and ability to turn us around after two dud managers in succession.

I loved the way he celebrated our equaliser.

Let’s see how we get on at Arsenal. If we go there and show some fight I’ll begin to believe, but Everton are doing what a David Moyes team does, and their honeymoon period by way of poor results is ending, so I don’t think last time was a good barometer. The barometer for Saturday having a go without getting done. 

[Lee Trundle]

I've just seen that he was Jorge Mendes' first ever client.

Reckon it won't be long until he falls out with Sullivan and Salthouse.

[Come On You Irons]

Well done mods for sourcing a Nuno icon.

I am mildly confident after last evening's performance and game management that he has the balls, charisma and ability to turn us around after two dud managers in succession.

I loved the way he celebrated our equaliser.

[eusebiovic]

I don't mind Nuno at all...He is certainly a capable, well organized manager. He's got his work cut out with our badly recruited, disjointed squad but will certainly make a big difference defence-wise. 

We'll be back to the low block Moyes style again but when he gets the team into a rhythm doing the right things at the right time keeping the lines tight and hitting on the counter, I think we will look a lot better. 

For the life of me I struggled to see what the Potter masterplan was other than to expect players who are second or third rate to be as tactically adaptable as a first class superstar - which isn't going to happen with our squad.

We'll have Bowen and Summerville to provide the pace on the break...we possibly need another deep lying midfield general (we're linked with Manuel Locatelli at Juventus) to allow Fernandes and Paqueta to shine with maybe Potts coming on regularly as a sub...but as usual we need to address the mobility issues in there as well as the perennial striker conundrum which remains unresolved under our illustrious ownership.

He'll probably go with...

                                       Areola
                ------ Wan Bissaka Mavro Kilman ------
Walker-Peters                                               Hadji-Diouf      
                                      Soucek
                       Fernandes         Paqueta

Bowen                          Fullkrug                    Summerville


Failing that, he might well give Igor Julio a go in defence so Wan Bissaka and Walker Peters will juggle the wing back in that case.

If Todibo's professionalism issues are anything to go by Nuno will have him in his cross-hairs from day one...mark my words.

Well, despite my initial fuck-up naming 12 players instead of 11 I almost got the line-up spot on. I forgot to drop Wan Bissaka to the bench. What I didn't expect was Magassa to start instead of Soucek but was pleased when after his yellow Potts was able to replace him - which I did predict!

Otherwise just as I suspected, keeping the lines tight and playing on the counter. Slightly more attractive on the eye compared to Moyesball. 

Reasons to be cheerful.

[Maverick180180]

Banished Ward-Prowse from the squad 
and then oversaw us play some entertaining football

Excellent stuff 

[Massive Attack]

The weird thing about JWP is despite his obvious limitations he was a very consistent and effective free kick taker. He remains just one goal behind Beckham in that respect.

Yet, since he joined us there's been absolutely fuck all. You'd think he would still manage at least a couple per season but zero.

How does that happen?

Because he has scored pretty much all those goals from a very specific spot, and we're terrible at winning free kicks 25 yards out from goal, let alone left of centre.

I haven't watched every single free kick he ever scored for Southampton but I would be very surprised if they were ALL taken from the same area just outside the box. I'm sure that I remember a few viciously whipped in from the right of centre too.

Most of his Premier League goals (don't know about in Cup games) have been either wide left of goal or centrally in different spots as he looks at goal. An exceptional Free Kick taker on a par with Benckham.

[eusebiovic]

The weird thing about JWP is despite his obvious limitations he was a very consistent and effective free kick taker. He remains just one goal behind Beckham in that respect.

Yet, since he joined us there's been absolutely fuck all. You'd think he would still manage at least a couple per season but zero.

How does that happen?

Because he has scored pretty much all those goals from a very specific spot, and we're terrible at winning free kicks 25 yards out from goal, let alone left of centre.

I haven't watched every single free kick he ever scored for Southampton but I would be very surprised if they were ALL taken from the same area just outside the box. I'm sure that I remember a few viciously whipped in from the right of centre too.

[stubbo-admin]

The weird thing about JWP is despite his obvious limitations he was a very consistent and effective free kick taker. He remains just one goal behind Beckham in that respect.

Yet, since he joined us there's been absolutely fuck all. You'd think he would still manage at least a couple per season but zero.

How does that happen?

Because he has scored pretty much all those goals from a very specific spot, and we're terrible at winning free kicks 25 yards out from goal, let alone left of centre.

[Massive Attack]

He actually had a decent season the one before last with very good goal scoring/making numbers without relying on a single Free Kick to be scored by him.

He helped us to get to 9th and to only lose out in the Europa League to freak side Bayern Neverlosing in the Quarters. 

[eusebiovic]

The weird thing about JWP is despite his obvious limitations he was a very consistent and effective free kick taker. He remains just one goal behind Beckham in that respect.

Yet, since he joined us there's been absolutely fuck all. You'd think he would still manage at least a couple per season but zero.

How does that happen?

[Far Cough UKunt]

Was it Nuno that never used JWP at Forest?

No. It was the same player he started in a rare win at Champions elect Liverpool at Anfield (their only loss at Home in the League) in an impressive 0-1 win and also earning a decent 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge and Brighton soon after. Ward-Prowse problem was that Forest side was mostly settled with little injuries in midfield and on an incredible run of form lasting all season long. So as a new loanee he was always going to struggle barging his way into the side there regularly.

Yeah but JWP has an incredible golf swing though.

[Massive Attack]

Was it Nuno that never used JWP at Forest?

No. It was the same player he started in a rare win at Champions elect Liverpool at Anfield (their only loss at Home in the League) in an impressive 0-1 win and also earning a decent 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge and Brighton soon after. Ward-Prowse problem was that Forest side was mostly settled with little injuries in midfield and on an incredible run of form lasting all season long. So as a new loanee he was always going to struggle barging his way into the side there regularly.

[Mex Martillo]

Was it Nuno that never used JWP at Forest?

[Massive Attack]

Ward-Prowse needed dropping, but not even going to be an option from the Bench is a strange one if not injured at all which has been stated. He's not exactly an unprofessional trouble maker like so many others in the Squad are.

[Mad Dog]

He's not taken ward prowse up to Everton?  He's already 1 up on potter then in my book

[Mex Martillo]

Yep Iberian Moyes (Portugal isn't in the Med)

BBC saying the same
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... q5w0rp8n1o

Good read, sounds like Nuno is better than Moyes at player relations, playing them in their best position to get the best out of them. I like that. But playing style sounds like a Moyes copy. 

Just hope he can keep it entertaining and doesn't end up boring us like Moyes.

You are being picky with the Med thing. Portugal has a coast on the Med. That'll do for me LOL!

Anyway, BBC article is decent and also pretty much backs up what most on here are saying around the low to mid block counter attack. Its not what I want to go back to but with Sullivan at the helm you just have to roll with it - He has no plan and we bounce from one manager and one style to another.

But if Nuno reverts to his favoured 4-2-3-1 are we looking at:

--------------------------  Fullkrug

Summerville----------Paqueta-----------Bowen

---------------Fernandes---------Magassa

Diouf---------Mavro----------Kilman------- AWB

-----------------------Hermandsen

Fair enough Russ. But Portugal don't have a Mediterranean coast. Sorry to be a geography teacher.
I like your team, I'd just put Wilson in for Fullkrug.

[Russ of the BML]

I can actually barely believe it when I am reading posters say that we need to address striker with pace in January! West Ham needing a striker has now been how many years? 

I think that's stating the obvious since Arnie left or maybe even Deano. 

Yes - That's why I can't believe it. 

[Massive Attack]

Hopefully he does and not waste the chance of playing them like Potter did. If Nuno doesn't then the likes of Potts will be gone without given a proper chance as he's 22yo now and will understandably move on as he can't keep waiting for his opportunity. 

[Alfs]

From what I've read, I believe that he'll introduce more youth.

[Swiss.]

I can actually barely believe it when I am reading posters say that we need to address striker with pace in January! West Ham needing a striker has now been how many years? 

I think that's stating the obvious since Arnie left or maybe even Deano. 

[ragingbull]

Nuno was a goalkeeper you would have thought he would sort that particular mess out, here's hoping.
 

[Eerie Decent]

I can actually barely believe it when I am reading posters say that we need to address striker with pace in January! West Ham needing a striker has now been how many years? 

I think it's more just pace in general, Russ. This manager is no mug, I can see him demanding it in January, and Sullivan will have to get it done. He can't fuck about with the league this year, there are no whipping boys at the bottom.

[Eerie Decent]

Possession is overrated, especially if you do nothing with the ball.

That's when it gets boring for me.

The decent season we had in 20/21 where we played this style under Moyes, we finished 6th with the 6th worst possession STATS in the league.  The football we played that season was exciting, I'm sure we'd all agree.

 

That's exactly where I'm at.

I think early on we're going to go ultra defensive, because he's no doubt watched us and he's got to sort that fucking defence out furst up. But longer term, he'll get some proper pace into that team and we'll be fast on the counter.

That was Moyes big problem towards the end, when he had Antonio still at it and quick enough up top, our counter was exciting. But we just didn't replace him, he got old quickly, and we didn't seem to buy anyone with proper pace. We were a counter attacking team with the slowest forward line in the league.

Nuno, by all accounts, loves pace in the team, so I expect that will be the focus in January. We do have Bowen & Summerville, and maybe Guilherme, so I think we'll now see the best of them. But outside of them we're slow, so we need some back up.
Traore incoming in January *taps nose*

I'm along the same lines along the same and I don't think Fullkrug has the pace or the strength that Antonio had in 2021 to hold up the ball or beat the man. Definitely not Wilson's game. Hopefully this will be addressed in the Jan transfer window. 

What I would say, is that Chris Wood was getting absolute pelters at Forest before Nuno turned up apparently, their fans thought he was absolutely useless, look at him now.

Again, I can't say I personally know for sure, but everything we're hearing from those that know him is Nuno plays very much to the strengths of the players he has at his disposal. Fullkrug plays regularly for the German national team, he's clearly no mug, hopefully the manager can get the best out of him like he did with Wood. 

[Russ of the BML]

I can actually barely believe it when I am reading posters say that we need to address striker with pace in January! West Ham needing a striker has now been how many years? 

[Swiss.]

Possession is overrated, especially if you do nothing with the ball.

That's when it gets boring for me.

The decent season we had in 20/21 where we played this style under Moyes, we finished 6th with the 6th worst possession STATS in the league.  The football we played that season was exciting, I'm sure we'd all agree.

 

That's exactly where I'm at.

I think early on we're going to go ultra defensive, because he's no doubt watched us and he's got to sort that fucking defence out furst up. But longer term, he'll get some proper pace into that team and we'll be fast on the counter.

That was Moyes big problem towards the end, when he had Antonio still at it and quick enough up top, our counter was exciting. But we just didn't replace him, he got old quickly, and we didn't seem to buy anyone with proper pace. We were a counter attacking team with the slowest forward line in the league.

Nuno, by all accounts, loves pace in the team, so I expect that will be the focus in January. We do have Bowen & Summerville, and maybe Guilherme, so I think we'll now see the best of them. But outside of them we're slow, so we need some back up.
Traore incoming in January *taps nose*

I'm along the same lines along the same and I don't think Fullkrug has the pace or the strength that Antonio had in 2021 to hold up the ball or beat the man. Definitely not Wilson's game. Hopefully this will be addressed in the Jan transfer window.