Nuno Espirito Santo has made some bizarre decisions and judgement calls in his short time at West Ham so far but a new revelation from a journalist may take the biscuit.
West Ham’s big problem over the last two years is that they simply don’t have enough good players.
Botched recruitment in recent seasons has left the Hammers with a lopsided squad lacking in star quality.
There have always been five or six standout West Ham players in recent years.
However, the number has been dwindling since the retirement of Mark Noble was followed by the sale of Declan Rice and, in the summer, Mohammed Kudus.
West Ham must somehow boost their star quality in the January transfer window if they want to stay in the Premier League.
West Ham squad not good enough to survive as things stand
The Hammers have won just 19 of their last 74 Premier League games since January 2024.
If you circle the plughole for that long, you are asking for trouble.
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And it is trouble West Ham have found this season, stuck in the bottom three approaching the halfway stage of the season, six points adrift of safety.
In the past the Irons have been able to rely on special players to get them out of sticky situations or elevate the team.
Goodness knows the Hammers need new heroes to step up to the plate, whether they are current players or new additions in the window.
West Ham’s Premier League survival literally depends on it.
Jarrod Bowen is one man the Hammers have always been able to rely on since he joined the club nearly six years ago.
The captain and talisman has not been at his brilliant best this season but is still regularly contributing goals and assists as he closes on being the club’s all-time leading Premier League goalscorer.
Bowen has looked exhausted from carrying the club on his back for the last two years.
West Ham’s lack of back-up for the skipper is alarming, let alone the fact only Crysencio Summerville and Lucas Paqueta can lay claim to being the team’s other standout stars.
Nuno names West Ham’s best player and it’s not Bowen
Mateus Fernandes, Freddie Potts and Soungoutou Magassa may have something to say about that in time.
But for now Bowen, Summerville and Paqueta are probably the stars of the team.
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And given the lack of end product produced by Summerville and Paqueta, that is a real worry.
Yet it seems Nuno Espirito Santo doesn’t believe Bowen is West Ham’s best player.
Ask any West Ham fan to name the team’s best player and the answer would undoubtedly be Bowen.
Put that same question to the wider football fan community, pundits and journalists and the same answer would come back.
If you ask Nuno, though, you may get a different and hugely surprising answer, if one journalist is to be believed.
Because The Telegraph’s Jason Burt claims Nuno privately believes Paqueta is West Ham’s best player.
The Brazilian has come under fire from Hammers fans of late.
The likes of Fabrizio Romano claimed in the summer that Paqueta was pushing to leave West Ham for Aston Villa or a return to Brazil.
After starting the season well personally, Paqueta has been well below the standards expected of a Brazil international of late.
The so-called playmaker has not registered an assist for West Ham in over 50 Premier League games.
Paqueta was roundly criticised for being sent off for persistent dissent against Liverpool having just returned from a one-game ban.
Nuno thinks Paqueta is West Ham’s best player and it is baffling
Against Aston Villa, West Ham’s record £51m signing, who earns £150k per week, gave the ball away throughout including for the Unai Emery’s side’s equaliser at 2-2 before they went on to win 3-2.
After the game, an angry Nuno blamed Paqueta for West Ham’s defeat.
But Burt claims Nuno believes nobody is better than Lucas Paqueta, which obviously includes captain Bowen.
In his article, the reporter states money could be raised for signings by selling Paqueta in January – something many West Ham fans would be on board with given his lack of impact.
But Burt states Nuno has made it clear he does not want to lose Paqueta in this window as ‘he regards him as West Ham’s best player’ but concedes he has struggled to get the best out of him.
Quite what Nuno is thinking if he truly believes that is anyone’s guess.
The other players in West Ham’s squad are not fit to lace Bowen’s boots.
Even talent wise, Bowen may not have the tricks and flicks but his game is far superior, impactful and more consistent than Paqueta.
Burt’s claim does tally with what Nuno said about Paqueta when he was suspended recently as he described him as ‘irreplaceable’.
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