West Ham United are getting the old Black Country band back together again; Nuno Espirito Santo on lead guitar and Rui Pedro Silva picking up his old familiar bass.
With their season opener away to Burnley just five weeks away, the duo who guided Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Championship title in 2018 have joined forces once again.
After Daniel Kretinsky emerged victorious over David Sullivan in a behind-the-scenes power struggle, West Ham highlighted Nuno’s title-winning campaign at Wolves as a major factor in their decision to keep the faith and ignore those pining for Scott Parker.
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A month on, Nuno’s long-time confidante Rui Pedro Silva now arrives in the hope of adding another second-tier title to his CV. This time, with West Ham United.
And Don Goodman, who could fill a novel with everything he knows about the Championship, is convinced that one of Kretinsky’s biggest calls will reap rewards.
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“Nuno’s Wolves side were one of the best Championship teams I’ve ever seen,” Goodman exclusively tells Hammers News, via talkSPORT Bet. “They probably should have broken quite a few records that season, but they just took their foot off the gas at the end because it was ‘mission accomplished’ and that happens.
“But for me, keeping him was a complete no-brainer. I’m not saying that with any disrespect to Scott Parker, who has an incredible record of getting teams promoted.
“But on the proviso that you could get Nuno to agree to stay, it was an absolute no-brainer for me.”
Pressure will inevitably hang heavily on Nuno Espirito Santo should West Ham slip up early on. Burnley away is perhaps the toughest start imaginable, while former employers Wolves loom on matchday four.
But former West Brom, Sunderland and Wolves striker Goodman – who can regularly be heard commentating on Championship matches for Sky Sports – sees no reason why the Hammers of 2026/27 cannot emulate the success of the 2017/18 Old Gold given time.
Some have questioned whether Nuno’s outstanding debut season at Molineux can realistically be repeated nearly a decade on. Wolves, after all, had genuine Champions League-level talents at their disposal, such as Ruben Neves and the dearly-departed Diogo Jota.
Yet, West Ham are increasingly confident that Jarrod Bowen will stay. Taty Castellanos appears likely to start the season in claret and blue, too, while Tomas Soucek is definitely sticking around.
Even if Crysencio Summerville follows £85 million Mateus Fernandes out the door – Hammers News can confirm that Summerville is dreaming of Manchester United – Goodman feels that Nuno’s tactical acumen, coupled with a core group most Championship sides could only dream of, is a recipe for success.
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“If you remember that Wolves team, they played front-foot, stylish, attacking football,” Goodman says, reminiscing about a side who recorded 30 wins and 99 points.
“I know there’s going to be a big turnover, and Mateus Fernandes has already gone, but they can’t get rid of everybody. And they will add to the squad as well. You can easily imagine [Nuno] creating a very similar type of dominant team in next season’s Championship.
“When there was talk that he might be sacked or relieved of his duties [after relegation], I just found that really surprising, particularly with what he accomplished at Wolves.
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“He obviously didn’t get a fair chance at Spurs, but then he had that great season at [Nottingham] Forest before being relieved of his duties at the start of last season, which is no surprise given the way the Forest owner goes about his business.
“Ultimately, getting him to agree to stay, knowing he already understands what it takes in that league and how attritional it is, will be up there with the best bits of business West Ham United do this summer.”
Hammers News reported in the immediate aftermath of relegation that Scott Parker had been identified as a potential replacement for Nuno. Parker, after all, had led Burnley, Fulham and Bournemouth to promotion.
But, Goodman argues, why make a change when you already have a coach who knows the squad, has the backing of a certain Czech billionaire, and put together one of the greatest sides ever to grace the Championship?
When you put it like that, a second in the second tier doesn’t sound so terrible.
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