While they are still in the relegation zone, things are starting to look up for West Ham United.
In his first game in the dugout, Nuno Espírito Santo oversaw a spirited fightback that saw the Hammers pick up a point away to Everton.
Moreover, while they lost against Arsenal, they were not blown away as they probably would’ve been under Graham Potter.
However, there is still more to come from the side, and while Jarrod Bowen continues to impress whenever he is on the pitch, another West Ham player could get back to his best and in the process become Nuno’s new Morgan Gibbs-White.
Changes Nuno can make for the next game
While it will take some time for Nuno’s tactical changes and philosophy to really sink into the side, there are a few changes he could make ahead of the next game that may lead to some instant results.
Chalkboard
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For example, while at his best, he can be a fulcrum for the attack, it might be time for Niclas Füllkrug to be taken out of the team, as he offered no threat whatsoever in the last two games.
Moreover, against the Toffees, he managed to lose ten of his 14 aerial duels, so on top of not worrying opposition defences, he’s also not holding the ball up enough.
Appearances
20
7
Minutes
877′
385′
Goals
3
0
Assists
2
0
Goal Involvements per Match
0.25
0.00
Minutes per Goal Involvement
175.4′
N/A
In place of the German, Callum Wilson could be given a start, or if the manager wants to be bold, he might go for an academy player like Callum Marshall or maybe even Josh Landers.
Another change that might be worth making is in the six position, as while Soungoutou Magassa is undoubtedly talented, he is clearly still adapting to the pace and power of the league.
The Frenchman only completed ten passes against the Gunners, lost Declan Rice for the opener, and lost three of four duels.
So, with a home game against Brentford after the international break coming up, it might be the perfect opportunity to hand Freddie Potts his first start for the club, as in his half an hour at the Emirates, he looked reasonably impressive.
However, while these changes might have a moderate impact in the short term, Nuno could see a more significant impact should one of West Ham’s best players rediscover his best form, someone who could become his new Gibbs-White.
The West Ham star who could be Nuno's new Gibbs-White
While Bowen will undoubtedly continue to be the superstar of this team, the player who could end up being a Gibbs-White style star for Nuno is Lucas Paqueta.
The former Lyon gem hasn’t been at his best in every game this season, but when he’s on track and things are going his way, it’s easy to see how he could have a similar impact on the team that the Englishman did at Nottingham Forest.
At his best under his former manager, the Tricky Trees’ talisman was a silky attacking midfielder who was as capable of scoring a sensational goal as he was of creating them for his teammates.
For example, in 38 games last season, totalling 3142 minutes, he racked up a tally of seven goals and ten assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.23 games, or every 184.82 minutes.
Now, while the Irons’ Brazilian “magician,” as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting, hasn’t quite hit numbers like that since moving to East London, he has gotten reasonably close before.
For example, in 23/24, he chalked up an impressive tally of eight goals and seven assists in 43 games, totalling 3478 minutes.
That came out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.86 games, or every 231.86 minutes.
Now, if the 28-year-old was able to put up numbers like that in the past, there is no reason he can’t do so again, especially with Nuno in charge, who has a track record of getting more out of his attackers.
Finally, the last reason Paqueta could become West Ham’s own Gibbs-White is that, when confident, he is, as talent scout Jacke Kulig puts it, a “pure joy to watch,” and that is how many a Forest fan would likely describe their talismanic midfielder.
Ultimately, this could be a long season for West Ham as they look to get back to their best. However, if the manager can utilise his star midfielder in the same way as his last one, it might not be so bad.
