In late-December, West Ham United were in deep trouble. The board had already twisted in the management department and did not want to do so again. Instead, they went to Nuno Espirito Santo, and asked if he needed some help.
Leading up to the 3-0 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nuno had only won two of his first 14 games. The Hammers were yet to keep a clean sheet under his guidance and had dropped points from winning positions against AFC Bournemouth and Brighton & Hove Albion. Academy coaches Steve Potts, Mark Robson and Billy Lepine were all promoted to Nuno’s backroom staff as he looked for answers.
Some believed that Nuno’s initial woes were down to his inability to bring in his own staff. Rui Barbosa, Nuno’s proffered goalkeeping coach who held that role at Nottingham Forest, did not join until October 31st, 34 days after the Portuguese took the Iron’s job.
The board knew things had to change and quick. They turned to someone Nuno knew well, and would push against him to help him make decision in the best interest of the squad. In came Paco Jemez.
Nuno and Paco Jemez’s relationship
The Spaniard had originally been approached earlier, but timing didn’t add up. This time, things were moving, and Jemez was installed as quickly as possible.
Nuno told the coach he needed to improve West Ham’s league position, and fast. For all concerned, it was the perfect time for the manager to reunite with someone he has known since the mid-90s. Jemez brings a wealth of experience, having played and worked alongside Luis Enrique and Pep Guardiola.
Since Jemez’s arrival at West Ham, performances across the board have improved markedly. The Hammers have have won four of their last seven games across all competitions, keeping their first clean sheet under Nuno in the 2-0 win over Burnley.
After observing training sessions at first, Jemez has helped to improve the intensity of the sessions. Midfielder Tomas Soucek even once called the coach a “crazy guy” due to how hard he can sometimes push.
Defensive improvements
Mateus Fernandes, one of West Ham’s best players over their form stretch, told The Athletic just what impact Jemez has had.
“He doesn’t speak very good English, but I understand Spanish, so I try to speak with him,”
“He’s been a very good coach for us. He tries to help the team in attack, defence, and we’ve shown improvement. Now we have that winning feeling. Paco has told us to believe, fight, and to control the games. For me, being a midfielder, it’s important to control the tempo of matches. So he helps a lot and he’s a very important guy for us.”
It’s not just Fernandes who has felt the improvement. Academy graduate Freddie Potts has credited Jemez for giving West Ham exactly what they have been missing.
“He’s had a massive impact, especially defensively,” Potts to said.
“We’re conceding fewer goals now. He’s a very good coach and smart with the defenders and us midfield players as well. That’s been reflected in our performances and results. He’s a great guy and an even better coach.”
Whilst the assistant coach is doing what he can to improve West Ham with most of his time, he is trying to learn English in the spare hours he has. Despite the language barrier, defender Ollie Scarles has said getting across instructions has not been an issue.
“I guess you could say he’s a lucky charm,” Scarles said after the victory against Sunderland.
“We’re all fighting every game and to win that FA Cup game (against Queens Park Rangers) and get another win on the board, which we haven’t had in a little while, gave us momentum. The atmosphere feels good within the group. We’re all positive and hopefully we can keep it going. Paco’s been brilliant for us. He’s a defensive coach and has strengthened our back four. He’s really good to be around and brings a good vibe to the team. All the coaches are vocal, but it’s good for the group to have one to motivate us all.”
Pretty much all of the West Ham defence has credited Jemez with improving them as a unit. Axel Disasi, who joined on-loan from Chelsea in January, has been a revelation under the Spaniard’s guidance.
“In the last few matches, the team has shown signs of life,” Jemez told El Partidazo de COPE after the 1-1 draw against Manchester United.
“We’ve tweaked a few things without making major changes. If we continue like this, I’m convinced we won’t be the ones who get relegated. I feel good, but I think the players will learn Spanish before I learn English! I’m getting the hang of it.
“I felt sad (after the draw to United), not angry. The team did many things well, and that goal (from Benjamin Sesko) at the end shouldn’t overshadow what the team did. We didn’t sit back and United had very few chances. The goal (United’s) is difficult to score; it’s an incredibly difficult shot, but these players have quality. The fact that we dropped two points shouldn’t make us doubt ourselves.”
