[West Ham’s](https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-ham-united-v-newcastle-score-predictions-starting-eleven-goals/) rejuvenation this afternoon was, hopefully, a step down the long road to Premier League recovery. Head coach Nuno now surely has his best starting eleven cemented in his mind and has finally coaxed the Hammers to give of their best and perform like a team again.
Freddie Potts – the man whom Graham Potter did not think was ready be thrust into the heat of a relegation battle and needed to be protected – rightly won the man of the match award on his full debut. Both Mateus Fernandes and Lucas Paquetá alongside Potts put in huge performances.
Nuno will feel quite rightly elated that everything clicked today – and his very public demand that Paquetá step up produced such an instant, palpable response from the Brazilian.
Nuno’s public demand for ‘more’ produced an instant response
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Just on Friday, West Ham’s head coach called him out in the pre-match conference:
_“We need Lucas..Being a ‘ten’ is more than a number, in my view: Being a ‘ten’ is a symbol. Being the ‘ten’ and this is what we need from Lucas – the best of him to really help his team mates, because the team-mates trust him a lot and they know that there’s much more for him to give us, the talent that he has”_
And the Brazilian responded. According to [football-talk.co.uk](https://football-talk.co.uk/223898/lucas-paqueta-shines-in-west-ham-win-vs-newcastle/):
_“Speculation surrounding Paquetá’s future continues to swirl, yet his display against Newcastle hardly reflected that of a player seeking an exit. The 28-year-old reignited West Ham’s momentum with a superb long-range effort, marking his first goal from open play since January._
_He also finished the game with an impressive 77 touches and 15 passes in the final third. It was no surprise Nuno kept him on for the full duration, as he played a key role off the ball — winning seven duels, making three tackles, and recovering possession four times._”
One of Lucas Paquetá’s best games in a West Ham shirt. His head coach just needs to find a way to get a repeat performance every week.