This week, two former West Ham United players landed two of the plum jobs of European football. Michael Carrick to Manchester United, and Alvaro Arbeloa to Real Madrid.
Ex-Upton Park stalwart Don Hutchison felt Michael Carrick was the ideal pick for the Hammers had they decided to part with Nuno Espirito Santo after the damaging 2-1 home defeat by Nottingham Forest seven days ago.
Hutchison’s advice would go unheeded. Well, by West Ham United anyway.
Because days after Hammers News reported that there had been no talks with Carrick, one of the worst-kept secrets in English football became public knowledge.
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Beating QPR in the FA Cup is a start…
Carrick, a five-time Premier League champion under Sir Alex Ferguson, returns to Manchester United on an interim basis following the overdue sacking of Ruben Amorim.
If the prospect of ‘Carrick the manager’ makes you painfully aware of your own mortality, then how about the prospect of a man who wore the claret and blue shirt as recently as 2017 leading none other than Real Madrid into battle?
Nikola Jurcevic reflects on Alvaro Arbeloa’s West Ham United spell
Alvaro Arbeloa hung up his boots eight years ago, West Ham the final stop on a footballing journey which took him from Real Madrid to Liverpool and back again.
Nikola Jurcevic worked briefly with the former Spain international right-back as part of Slaven Bilic’s coaching staff in East London.
While Arbeloa played only four games in a West Ham jersey, Jurcevic immediately noticed the professionalism, the leadership skills, and the attention to detail which are often the hallmarks of managers-in-waiting.
Jurcevic, though, presumably did not expect the biggest job in club football to become Arbeloa’s first senior post.
“Arbeloa came to us at the beginning of the season because our right-back [Sam Byram] at the time was injured,” says the Croatian, who played a key role in securing a then-record points haul of 62 in the 2015/16 season [Sportske].
“He was nearing the end of his career, so he didn’t play much and wasn’t in the forefront. But [Arbeloa] was 100 per cent professional. He gave his all in every training session and was very communicative.
“It wasn’t exactly a great situation for him because he was still a player [with a huge reputation], and he didn’t play well in England. Despite this, he behaved like an absolute professional until the last moment.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all that he became a coach. This is definitely the chance of a lifetime for him.”
Arbeloa steps in for Xabi Alonso at the La Liga giants
Arbeloa replaces former Los Blancos teammate Xabi Alonso on a short-term basis. One Champions League winner steps in for another, Alonso leaving the scalding Real Madrid hotseat with burns on his bum after just eight exhausting months at the helm.
“We’ve all seen the recent games, and the effort the players made in the Supercopa final [a 3-2 defeat by Barcelona over the weekend],” Arbeloa told reporters at his unveiling on Tuesday.
“We have a great squad, with lads who are up for anything. There are players here with six European Cups, and it seems that that’s forgotten quickly. That’s what has made Madrid the best club in history.”
Which of these former Hammers will go the FURTHEST in management?
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Nuno Espirito Santo retains the backing of the West Ham board
Speaking of managerial changes, Nuno Espirito Santo’s job appears as safe as it realistically can be as things stand. A narrow 2-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup third round lifted the mood somewhat, but it would be right back to square one if the Hammers fail to lay a glove on a very-beatable Tottenham Hotspur side next Saturday.
Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic has been linked, alongside more familiar names such as Carrick and Bilic.
“I’ve obviously done a good job here when I’m mentioned in the context of a big English club like West Ham,” Jakirovic, who won the Bosnian Premier League with Zrinjski Mostar and the Croatian title with Dinamo Zagreb, also told Sportske Novosti.
“Interest and stories like that are always flattering, but I’m fully focused on every next Hull City game. And no one knows what will happen in the future.
“The crowning glory of my career would definitely be the Premier League. I’ve won championships, played in all three of Europe’s top competitions [Champions League, Europa League and Conference League], so the Premier League would definitely be the pinnacle in terms of coaching.”
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