West Ham fans all say the same thing as award-winning former star pictured at Everton clash
West Ham supporters are preparing for a new appointment at the London Stadium following one of the club’s latest social media posts.
Jarrod Bowen scored again as West Ham drew 1-1 with Everton on Monday, 29 September, grabbing a point away from home in the first game since Graham Potter‘s sacking.
Nuno Espirito Santo was appointed by the Hammers just days after being relieved of his duties by Nottingham Forest, and he instantly won over some of the fans with his raw passion on the sidelines.
However, with Michael Keane taking advantage of some slack defending, it was obvious that it would take more than just a change of manager to fix the continuous problems this season.
El Hadji Malick Diouf continues to be a shining star, but the rest of the defence appears to be letting him down.
Craig Dawson pictured at Everton vs West Ham
With the players in the tunnel, the West Ham media team released an image of a couple of them chatting with former defender and fan favourite, Craig Dawson, at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Back in 2022, Dawson won an award for Best Individual Performance as the Hammers beat Lyon 3-0 to advance to the Europa League semi-finals [Official website], a season before the club would go on to win the Europa Conference League.
He left the East London club in January of 2023, joining Wolves for two-and-a-half seasons, and he remains a much-loved figure at the London Stadium.
Now, supporters are ready for his return, but in a very different capacity than his playing days.
Fans are desperate for Dawson to return as the club’s new defence coach, with voices only getting louder after Keane’s headed goal. Set-pieces continue to be the team’s undoing this season.
One fan questioned whether Nuno was set to bring him back, and while some supporters have suggested that the 35-year-old could still fill in at centre-back, the majority want him as part of the staff.
- @thomasjrennie: “Announce new defence coach.”
- @Janehay0712: “Is Nuno gonna bring Ballon Dawson back home?! Miss him so I’m not against this!”
- @RamsdenMike: “Maybe he could do a bit of coaching the defence.”
West Ham’s biggest weakness needs to be addressed by Nuno Espirito Santo
The defensive third is where the Hammers are truly struggling, or at least have been under Potter, and Nuno needs to take special care when improving this specific area of the pitch.
With Bowen, Crysencio Summerville, and Lucas Paqueta all available, getting the attack firing on all cylinders should not be an issue, but the Irons have currently conceded the most goals in the Premier League.
That is not something that will change overnight, even with a new manager. However, if Dawson were to be brought in by Nuno, he would offer something completely different to make key changes on the pitch.