Wolves boss Nuno Espirito told reporters how important it is to use substitutes at the right time after yesterday’s win over West Ham. And the Portuguese’s comments make a total mockery of David Moyes and the Scot’s in-game management.
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The Black Country outfit were on a completely different level to the Hammers yesterday.
Nuno’s side controlled the game from start to finish.
But it still took them until the 73rd minute before they broke the deadlock when Raul Jimenez headed home from Adama Traore’s cross.
The 24-year-old winger totally changed the game when he came on for Leander Dendoncker in the 64th minute.
Nuno was proactive in bringing on the Spaniard and Pedro Neto. And he was rewarded for his bold substitutions.
Meanwhile, David Moyes, floundered.
The Scot brought on Manuel Lanzini in place of the woeful Felipe Anderson in the 67th minute. But the Argentine failed to have an impact on the game.
Then, having gone behind in the 73rd minute, Moyes didn’t act until making a double change in the 81st minute. And one of those was bringing a right-back on!
Nuno spoke to reporters after the game. And his comments made a mockery of Moyes’s inability to change a game midway through, as quoted by Wolves.co.uk:
“In this situation, it has a big part. The impact of the players coming in can change the game on whatever team. It’s up to us to manage the momentum of the players and try to use them in the right moments. This is about the squad. I think in these moments of the season that we are back in competition, managing all the squad is very important. The players and the team need help from the players that come on the pitch and their job is to create impact and change the momentum of the game.”
If West Ham are to stay up this season, Moyes needs to be far more proactive during games.
He is allowed to make five substitutes now. But in truth, he struggled to make three before.
It will be interesting to see whether the Scot has learned anything from the way Nuno changed the course of the game yesterday.
Let’s hope that he has. Because if not, the Hammers seem destined for relegation.