Parker Starts West Ham Job With Comeback and a Lost Voice
Scott Parker took over West Ham on Tuesday and watched them recover from 3-0 down at Cardiff. He now wants a more committed side to win promotion.
Scott Parker has already lost his voice, three days into the West Ham job. He took charge on Tuesday and saw his side come back from 3-0 down to draw at Cardiff in the Championship on Wednesday.
A promotion specialist with a caveat
Parker has won promotion with Bournemouth, Burnley and Fulham. Keeping teams up has been harder for him, and he has admitted to "some blips" across two full Premier League seasons. He says he is fully committed.
Daniel Kretinsky, Karim Virani and Nils Koppen picked him for his knowledge of West Ham and his record at this level. He had been out of work since leaving Burnley after their relegation from the Premier League last April. West Ham parted company with Nuno Espírito Santo early on Tuesday, and Parker cut short his break to replace him.
A club in transition
David Sullivan still owns 40% of West Ham but is no longer on the board, and Daniel Kretinsky's power has grown. Parker described Kretinsky as "hugely passionate". Karim Virani is interim CEO, and Nils Koppen is director of recruitment.
A slow starter at the back
West Ham had gone three games without a win before Cardiff. There they started slowly again and conceded three goals in the first half. They recovered after Parker made three changes at half-time, and Jarrod Bowen was inspired.
Parker, 46, says talent alone is not enough in the Championship, a tough league where it does not matter what name you have on a bit of paper. Burnley were stingy when they won promotion, and West Ham's defence needs sorting out. He wants a committed team above all.
The new job also cost him his voice. He has not shouted for a while, he said, and doing it again has left him croaky. He compared it to putting shoes back on after weeks in flip-flops.
Old faces and a trip to Blackburn
Parker played at West Ham for four years and loved it. He has added Mark Noble to his staff. Noble has been the club's sporting director since retiring in 2022, but will now work as an assistant coach alongside Parker.
West Ham visit Blackburn Rovers on Saturday and are taking 7,000 fans to Ewood Park. Parker knows there can be no more complacency.
Source: The Guardian