As West Ham United assess their options for bringing in new recruits on what is likely to be a shoestring budget, Nuno Espírito Santo could do well to take a leaf out of David Moyes’ book in assessing the character of those he plans to recruit for the battle of attrition that lies ahead next season.
The “Moyes MOT” – as it was termed – was his own assessment of the mental resilience of the player he was considering. Many were deemed ‘unsuitable’ thanks to the Scot’s gut reaction that they were not team players or perhaps wouldn’t be up for a fight.
West Ham must address their leadership void this summer – even if skipper Bowen stays
However it did often seem as if the ‘Moyes MOT’ was cited as a smokescreen for his dithering – Nuno will have his own ideas on how to filter out those not in tune with his own team ethic.
It seems he’s already ended the West Ham careers of James Ward Prowse and Jean Clair Todibo over their mental attitudes rather than their on-pitch performances if rumours are to believed. Todibo in particular seeming one who has all the talent yet comes up short on self discipline, having fallen out with just about every manager he’s played under.
Jean Clair Todibo struggled to contain Calafiori who was at the centre of Arsenal's attacks
Todibo – played his last game at West Ham
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The NYTimes on Thursday identified the key weakness that Nuno must fix before embarking on the Championship campaign:
“Leadership void:
There was a lack of leaders in the team following the noticeable releases of Aaron Cresswell, Michail Antonio, Kurt Zouma and Vladimir Coufal last summer….
Bowen has not coped well with shouldering the burden of responsibility, but Nuno can ease pressure on the attacker — if he stays — by recruiting more experienced pros this summer.
It worked to his benefit at Nottingham Forest, where Nuno leaned on the leadership of quartet Nikola Milenkovic, Ryan Yates, Chris Wood and Nicolas Dominguez. Barring Bowen, only Tomas Soucek has leadership traits. It is a huge void, and one Nuno must urgently address.”
Particularly as reports claim a good influx of Academy talent is likely to be grafted into the senior squad: Bowen, Soucek and Mavropanos seem to be becoming crucial assets to retain for their leadership ability almost as much as for their playing skills.
You’d still expect the West Ham manager to graft in a couple of seasoned old professionals to do the same kind of job that Kevin Nolan did for the team in 2011/2. From where, and for how much will be the crucial factor as the Hammers will certainly not be awash with funds this summer.