Looking from a distance at the struggles faced by West Ham United, Wayne Rooney, an icon of Manchester United and the Premier League, believes that they should draw inspiration from clubs like Brentford and Brighton and Hove Albion.
Brighton, in particular, navigated seamlessly through coaching changes, from Graham Potter to Roberto de Zerbi to Fabian Hurzeler, achieving their second-best Premier League finish last season amidst the transitions. On the other hand, Brentford continued to flourish under Thomas Frank after losing Dean Smith to Aston Villa.
Rooney expresses concern over West Ham’s lack of long-term, organized planning, contrasting it with the structured approaches seen at Brighton and Brentford. He emphasizes that a club’s success hinges on establishing a clear foundation and philosophy that transcends managerial changes.
The reports indicate that Graham Potter is likely to retain his position despite recent setbacks for West Ham. However, interest in various managerial profiles signifies a lack of unified direction within the club, with Slaven Bilic waiting in the wings for a potential return.
Rooney stresses the importance of clubs having a set playing style and philosophy, as seen with Brighton and Brentford, to sustain progress irrespective of managerial changes. He believes that shifting from one philosophy to another can hinder a team’s progress.
As the management at West Ham mulls over potential managerial changes, including rehiring Bilic, Rooney urges the club to establish stability and a coherent plan at the grassroots level to avoid disruptions and start anew with each managerial change.
The contrasting viewpoints within the West Ham hierarchy, with Sullivan preferring Bilic while Brady considers other options like Nuno Espirito Santo, indicate a lack of alignment, which could impact crucial decisions at the club. Rooney’s words serve as a warning of the pitfalls of inconsistent planning and philosophy shifts without a solid foundation in place.
