Nuno Espírito Santo is gone, and Scott Parker is expected to take over a West Ham side that is eighth in the Championship and six points off the top. The club has not yet confirmed the appointment, but reports say an agreement is in place and the hope is to have him in the dugout at Cardiff on Wednesday.
Whoever is in charge inherits a squad that was never as bad as its results. Before Nuno’s dismissal, I was in the midst of laying out a series of changes West Ham needed to make, from goalkeeper to striker. Few of them were radical. Nuno did not make them, and in one case, according to sources, he would not make it even when his captain asked. For Parker, the same list is now the most useful starting point available.
1. Bring Álvarez and Magassa Back
This is the quickest win on the board. Jarrod Bowen approached Nuno several times to argue for the return of Edson Álvarez and Soungoutou Magassa, and each time he was told the coaching staff would reevaluate and consider it. Nothing changed, and the standoff spread through the dressing room.
The case is practical. Magassa’s passing range can open up the middle of the pitch and create space for the wingers, and Álvarez can screen the defence from a deeper role or cover as an emergency centre-back. Those are exactly the qualities West Ham lacked in the first-half collapses against Southampton and West Brom. Parker also has a natural route to the squad through Mark Noble, who is expected to join his staff, and putting both players back in contention would be a strong signal that the freeze is over.
2. Settle the Midfield Around Souček and Engels
Nuno rotated his midfield so often that it never formed a partnership. The solution is simple and familiar to West Ham fans: Tomáš Souček, back from a long injury and in good scoring form, pushes forward, while Arne Engels sits deeper and controls the tempo. Souček also brings the leadership that the middle of the pitch has missed, and Kanté can come on as an impact option.
Against West Brom, Mukasa was dragged deep to collect the ball, and Kanté was in the front line. Putting players in roles that suit them is the cheapest improvement Parker can make.
3. Reconsider the Goalkeeper
Mads Hermansen has kept four clean sheets, but his hesitancy and decision-making have been costly, as the Southampton game showed when two of his parries fell straight to scorers. Alphonse Areola should get his place back, for his physical presence and vocal leadership.
This one matters for Parker in particular. His Burnley team conceded just 16 goals in 46 Championship games, a record, with James Trafford keeping 29 clean sheets and posting the best save percentage in the division. Parker’s best defence was built on a dominant goalkeeper, and he will want one who commands the box. Whether that is Areola or Hermansen is his decision, but it is the first big question at the back.
4. Fix the Right Side
Kyle Walker-Peters is an attacking full-back who leaves space behind him, and West Brom’s early chances came down that side. Joël Veltman, 36, offers the opposite: cover, experience and a more settled shape. Veltman only came on against West Brom when Walker-Peters went off injured, and he should simply start. For a manager whose reputation is built on organization, that is an easy call.
5. Make Piroe the Starting Striker, and Pick a System
Up front, Joël Piroe should be the first-choice striker, with Pablo supporting him in a two-man attack. Piroe won the Championship Golden Boot and helped Leeds to promotion, and his underlying numbers this season suggest he is getting few quality chances rather than missing good ones. Pablo’s strengths are pressing and linking play, not finishing, so he fits as a partner rather than a lone striker. Castellanos has scored once in the Championship, and the striker slot is something that needs to be addressed in January.
There is a tension here for Parker. His Burnley side mostly played a 4-2-3-1 with a single forward. West Ham’s strikers do best in pairs. That is the kind of tactical judgement the new coach has to make quickly, and the squad has the options to do either.
The numbers Parker inherits are clear, with six goals conceded in two home defeats and a team that keeps falling behind early. But the squad has the pieces, including a captain in good form, a promising set of forwards and a group of midfielders who were being underused. The strongest case for Parker is that he does not need to reinvent the team. He needs to make decisions Nuno would not, and make them quickly.
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