Suppose for a moment West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo really was persuaded to change his mind and include Tomáš Souček in his starting XI rather than sell him. Would that really be such a bad thing?
Some are suggesting it might be a sign of indecision — or even weakness — on the manager’s part. That would certainly fit the modern interpretation of changing your mind, often lazily labelled as flip-flopping.
Personally, I see it differently. I think it’s a strength.
In fact, I would much rather be open-minded and happy to change course when presented with new information than be stubborn and doggedly stick to my guns.
But this is not the first time in Nuno’s short West Ham career that he has seemingly gone back on a decision — and what’s most impressive of all is that he doesn’t appear resentful when persuaded otherwise.
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The first example I noticed was during the January transfer window, when Nuno was actively trying to offload Callum Wilson. It was common knowledge that Wilson was available, with his agent Will Salthouse negotiating with other clubs.
However, the story goes that Espírito Santo was convinced to retain him — which, at the time, seemed entirely sensible. Allowing Wilson to leave would have left West Ham dangerously light in the striking department.
Then there was Nuno’s late reassessment of his backroom staff. Deciding he needed a second set of eyes, the Hammers brought in Paco Jémez on the manager’s recommendation.
Nuno seems happy to change course when things aren’t working
Flexibility Over Stubbornness
One might also point to the case of Lewis Orford, who had previously been consigned to under-21 training.
Opportunity arose when Orford was drafted in to train with the senior squad at the start of February. Nuno was so impressed with what he saw that he reversed course entirely, incorporating the England under-18 captain into his first-team group.
Taken together, these examples paint a clear picture.
This is a manager who reassesses. Who adapts. Who is prepared to change his mind when circumstances demand it.
That doesn’t look like weakness to me — it looks like flexibility.
And right now, with West Ham staring down a difficult run and the threat of relegation, I would far rather have a manager willing to correct course than one stubbornly steering straight towards the rocks.