While Football Daily hasn’t actually seen much of West Ham this season, we’ve noted enough of their results to presume they were doing OK in their attempt to bounce back to the Premier League after relegation. Less than a third of the way through the Championship season under Nuno Espírito Santo, they’d already spanked six without reply past both Wrexham and Lincoln, while scoring three or more in wins over Wolves, Derby and Bolton. However, it turns out that of the 13 matches they’ve played in a league that is famously difficult to get out of (unless you were Sheffield Wednesday last season), they have actually lost three times and currently sit in eighth place, a whopping six points off leaders Middlesbrough.
Given the context of such an unbridgeable chasm, it is small wonder West Ham fans woke up to news that Nuno had been unceremoniously bounced out of the London Stadium with a P45 in hand. Coming on the back of consecutive home defeats by Southampton and West Brom, Tuesday’s news won’t have come as a huge surprise to Hammers fans, treated to the sight of a sad Nuno on the London Stadium touchline on Saturday, eyes glazed and grey beard glistening in the early evening mist as he stared blankly in the direction of several celebrating Baggies. An understated club legend of sorts, the 46-year-old is best known for wearing expensive Thom Browne four-bar ripstop blouson jackets in his technical area while masterminding immediate promotion to the Premier League for the only three English clubs he has managed thus far.
Indeed, it is a testament to the breezy optimism of certain West Ham fans on several Social Media Disgraces that they are already discussing how dismal Parker’s Premier League record is, while arguing over who should replace him when he becomes the first top-flight gaffer to get sacked in 12 months’ time. With their team having scored 33 goals in their opening 13 games this season, West Ham fans can now presumably look forward to seeing them bag the same number in their remaining fixtures as they clock up 33 consecutive, risk-averse 1-0 wins. It may not be the fabled West Ham way but it will do until the next guy comes along.
There are no words of comfort; there is absolutely nothing that can lessen this overwhelming sadness. We stand with his grieving family, with his loved ones, with all of Tenerife who mourn this cruel loss today. The family of Jesús de Miguel is grateful for each and every expression of support received, and also requests, from the bottom of their hearts, the utmost respect for their privacy during these terrible times” – Tenerife have announced the death of striker Jesús de Miguel, who died after a collision with the Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono during a match in Spain’s second division.
De Miguel suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest and did not regain consciousness. While my heart aches for Jesús de Miguel, who has died after a collision with the Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono, I shudder to think the trauma that shall haunt Owono for the rest of his life. I do hope and pray the wider community understands and extends their support in his recuperation” – Krishna Moorthy.
As an upgrade to Steve Plever’s suggestion of paper thin shirts [Monday’s letters]: how about Velcro shirts? If the bit comes off, it is a shirt pull and the offender has the honour of putting it back in place before being awarded a yellow card” – Mike Harold. To dive or not to dive seems to be biggest dilemma in the Premier League right now.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
