After the announcement of David Moyes as West Ham’s new manager, some fans of the London side made it abundantly clear that they were not at all impressed.
And in his first few weeks in charge of his second spell at the club, things haven’t exactly gone great. After getting off to the perfect start under Moyes with a 4-0 thrashing of Bournemouth, the Hammers have failed to win in their last five Premier League games – including throwing away a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 against Brighton last time out.
Spirits therefore may not exactly be at an all-time high at the London Stadium, but the club took an important step to potentially addressing that with their major announcement in mid-week.
Watch West Ham United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below
It was confirmed the Hammers have appointed both Kevin Nolan and Paul Nevin as first-team coaches to work under Moyes, and the latter was particularly effusive in his praise of the duo.
“Both have a wealth of experience in the game. I’m sure they will make a very positive contribution between now and the end of the season. Kevin obviously knows the club very well having played here previously, while Paul’s coaching pedigree is excellent. It has taken some time to finalise the coaching staff, but I wanted to make sure I brought in the right people to help us, and both Kevin and Paul are fantastic additions.”
And it is the appointment of Nolan in particular that may go a long way to helping build a bridge between the club’s fan-base and Moyes in particular.
Nolan was a former captain of the Hammers, and scored 31 goals in 157 games for them between 2011 and 2015, and offers West Ham supporters someone to identify with and relate to.
Call yourself a West Ham expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?
It should also give some of the playing squad a boost too, seeing a former player join the ranks and offer them a sounding board if they need someone to talk to. All around the Premier League, more and more teams are turning to ex-players either as managers or coaches – just look at the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, or even Everton with Duncan Ferguson.
Whilst Nolan may not be a bona-fide Hammers legend, his experience with the club will no doubt ensure a bit of goodwill and give fans someone to rally behind.
Meanwhile, West Ham’s new signing should take inspiration from this fellow Premier League new boy.