Nuno Espirito Santo and his new West Ham United assistant coach Rui Pedro Silva have a few key things in common.
Both have Portuguese passports, both have Championship winner’s medals, and both are now reunited at the London Stadium.
Believe it or not, West Ham United is actually the eighth club that Nuno Espirito Santo and Rui Pedro Silva – long-time friends and one-time flatmates – have worked together at.
Rui Silva arrival is a ‘HUGE BOOST’ – How are the optimism levels now? 🇵🇹
Nuno's long-time assistant is heading to the Hammers…
Silva joined Nuno’s staff after leaving Wolves – his second spell at Molineux – a few weeks ago.
Another thing the two compatriots and confidantes share, meanwhile, is an appreciation for a Hammers fanbase hungry for promotion and unwavering in their commitment.
Rui Pedro Silva applauds West Ham United’s insatiable fans
‘Incredible’ was the word Nuno used when hearing that West Ham have sold 50,000 season tickets despite suffering relegation only two months ago. When Silva was asked, in his first official interview broadcast on the club’s YouTube channel, he opted for an identical adjective.
“It’s incredible,” said a man who worked with Nuno at Wolves, Nottingham Forest, Valencia, Porto, Rio Ave, Malaga and Panathinaikos.
“It’s amazing.”
As West Ham kicked off pre-season with a draw at Southend United last Saturday, the BBC reported that nearly 3,000 supporters made the trip from East London to Essex.
Not bad for a friendly game between a non-league club and a recently-relegated side.
“Even in the last game that we played at Southend, seeing all the fans in the stadium was really, really good,” adds Silva. “But there is no team without supporters behind them.
“If we’ve got all those supporters behind us, I think we need to build up a stronger position from that point, for sure, yeah.”
Barely a week went by last season without Nuno talking up the importance of the home support. The club, he said, needed to get a fanbase who had grown disillusioned and increasingly disconnected back onside.
Relegation doesn’t usually do much for the feel-good factor, of course. But with three weeks remaining before West Ham kick off the Championship campaign at Burnley, Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has helped create a renewed sense of optimism through a series of bold calls and headstrong decisions.
Kretinsky not only won the battle to keep Nuno at the London Stadium – David Sullivan wanted a change in the dugout – he also backed his manager by bringing not only a new director of recruitment in Nils Koppen, but also an assistant coach with whom he has shared so many successes.
Kretinsky is hopeful that West Ham can emulate Wolves’ Championship-winning campaign in 2016/17. Getting the old Iberian band back together – Nuno and Silva reunited – feels like a step in the right direction.
Former Wolves duo know how to get success in the Championship
“Everybody gets the feeling; everybody makes you feel that this is a big club, a huge club. And you also feel a determination to bounce back,” adds Silva, who has spoken openly in the past about the fighting spirit needed to survive a gruelling 46-game campaign.
West Ham v Rangers! Which youngster are YOU most excited to see? 🤩
“I think [promotion] is the main priority, the main goal. I think the club, the structure, the people around, the fans; it’s a club that deserves to be in the Premier League, for sure.
“I’ve known Nuno since 2006. He was a player at Porto when I was an assistant manager in Porto, so we’ve known each other for a long time. I think we know each other really well, to know when to talk and when to step out.
“And then the knowledge about football that we share… we’ve got the same ideas, the same thoughts, so that’s why it works so well.
“I think it’s very important [to have a reliable assistant]. I’ve got experience as a manager as well, which brings me an understanding of the coach sometimes, because it’s a very lonely position. Sometimes the relationship between us is so important; to give my thoughts, to know where to say no, to say yes, where we change it or not.
“I think this kind of understanding between me and him is very important.”
Silva watched on as West Ham thrashed Stevenage 5-0 on Tuesday night. He will be on the touchline again this weekend as the Hammers take on Rangers at Ibrox.
“I think the philosophy should be; OK, let’s arrive at the club, let me see what the club’s got, and we need to take the best advantage of the players that we’ve got at the minute to get the results that the club wants,” Silva says.
“I think the best philosophy is to take a look at the players, understand their profile, and understand where you can take the most advantage of those players to get what you want, which is to win.
“This league [the Championship] is a different kind of challenge. It’s a very tough league, but a very interesting league even for the development of players and coaches. It demands a lot from you, even in a tactical way.
“I remember the first time that we came into the Championship [at Wolves]; me and Nuno talked a lot about that. We discussed the style of play and whether we needed to change our idea or philosophy to adapt to a different league.
“I think the Championship now is very tough, but if you play really good football and have a strong idea, you’re going to have success.”
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
