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swindon hammer 7:10 Mon Aug 17
Stuart Pearce is back

As Coach


Guardian

Stuart Pearce returns to West Ham after clearing the air with club's board

Former England defender was part of Moyes’s staff in 2017-18
Pearce had claimed board blocked his return last December

Jacob Steinberg

Stuart Pearce has returned to West Ham as part of David Moyes’s coaching team. The deal comes eight months after Pearce suggested that West Ham’s board blocked the manager’s attempts to recruit him after replacing Manuel Pellegrini in December.

“West Ham United is pleased to confirm that Stuart Pearce has returned to the club as a first team coach and will work alongside Kevin Nolan and Paul Nevin, who have also signed new contracts,” a club statement said.

The former England left-back was part of Moyes’s backroom staff during the Scot’s first spell at the London Stadium and was critical of the club for hiring Pellegrini instead of the former Everton manager in May 2018.

“They’ve decided not to go down the David [Moyes] route,” Pearce said at the time. “I was a little surprised by that as I saw first-hand what a good job he did in a situation that could have gone either way.”

Pearce suggested those comments had not gone down well with West Ham’s hierarchy this year. Moyes, who was already working with Alan Irvine, ended up bringing in Nevin and Nolan instead. Moyes was still keen to further beef up his staff, however, and Pearce has cleared the air with West Ham’s board, paving the way for a return.

“I’ve spoken directly with David Sullivan and Karren Brady and I had extremely positive conversations with both of them,” Pearce said. “They were enthusiastic about me returning. It says a lot about them that I’m at West Ham again. I wouldn’t be back if I didn’t believe in the strategy in place to take this great football club forward.”

“I’m really pleased to welcome Stuart back,” Moyes said. “He will start immediately and I’ve no doubt he will be a great asset to us on the training pitch and in the dressing room next season.”

Lertie Button 9:33 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

Heard a rumor that young fella at Arsenal- Arsehole Venger is trying to stop players drinking every weekend, next thing he will be telling them what to eat.
You'll win nothing with a bunch of teetotalers in your team

RM10 9:18 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

Yeh loved him as a player that’s all, have to trust Moyes with his staff.

rochesterjohn 5:23 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

Just because someone played the game at the highest level does not mean they can coach/ manage, as anybody who knows our history would testify to.
Just saying like!

He’s fuckin hopeless , I know cos he’s taken away any doubt during his stint on talkSPORT, if he’d kept his mouth shut then maybe there’d be an argument.

Westham67 4:43 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

DUNCAN Ferguson always scored against us I remember that when Kitson took a penalty for his hat trick and missed and then Ferguson scored. You can hear the bloke next to me smashing his seat up on that seasons DVD

weststandboy 4:26 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

Could it be that he was one of Englands finest defenders from recent years and therefor knows a thing or two about that area of the game and that is what he has been bought in to do?

Just saying like!

rochesterjohn 3:53 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

Backward step in every was possible!
We are not privy to what goes on behind closed doors, training, post and pre match briefing, half time talks etc, our only evidence is what we see on the pitch and we make our own conclusions.
However, with Pearce we know he’s useless because he’s shown it in his media work for talkSPORT, we’ve all heard his halftime analysis and in match observations, he’s clueless and from a different age!
I have no idea what Moyes thinks he’s going to bring to the table, unless he’s still getting discounts from the Pizza Hut adverts, not a fuckin lot!

Sir Alf 3:50 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

Coaching, management has changed over the years for sure at the top level. The old days of a few physical drills , intervals, and then practice games, defence versus attack for tactics being enough have gone.

Thing is the dieting side, use of data and stats makes it far more scientific and it depends on the coaches role. If its running drills and working on individuals ( routines to correct passing and decision making of Fredericks would be a prime example )Pearce or someone like him is ok. The manager though or someone on that team has to understand the psychological side nowadays IMO too. That is unique to each person and getting to understand the way they think , what motivates them etc.. is nearly as important as getting them in optimal physical condition. Phil Jackson, Basketball's most successful coach in recent years, has books describing how that was what transformed some teams and allowed them to dominate for years.

Pearce aint one of those sort of people. Not sure Moyes is either. Nolan? Bit smarter than some think I suspect. I have a feeling ( speculation only ) that he may have made a big difference when he returned. Not sure if he gets inside the players heads but he certainly would be able to teach them how to be competitive, gamesmanship etc.. something every team but West Ham seems to do. Don't like it but you lose out if you do not employ those techniques. Wonder when we will see someone blocking the goalkeeper or doing a chicken dance ? ;-)

Anyway, so long as Pearce is not too engaged with tactics and simply there for more of the physical side and ensuring the team follow the drills and instructions strictly, he should do a decent job?

southbankbornnbred 3:43 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

That's why Moyes has disappointed me so far in his second spell, even aside from some really poor results.

He says he spent his time out of management working with UEFA and strudying the latest developments. That may or may not be the case - but I'm not seeing that when we take to the pitch.

We look like Moyes' Everton circa 2005. I fully expect us to sign Kevin Kilbane.

southbankbornnbred 3:35 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

I don't doubt that, fella!

I think your overall point is right: as a club, we need to make sure that we have a good mixture of coaches who are, whatever their age, up to speed on the latest coaching, conditioning and data developments.

I do feel like West Ham is often travelling in first gear when it comes to that sort of thing. But I'm generally not worried about a coach's age - it's more about whether they keep up to speed with things. Experience counts for so much in other parts of the game.

goose 3:22 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

Fair enough southbank, I know a couple of coaches working at the FA who’ve had direct contact with Pearce and they weren’t very complimentary!!

southbankbornnbred 3:07 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

I get what you're saying generally, Goose. But any coach can update their badges and take additional courses once they have qualified. That's what most do.

If you look at the list of coaches at most PL clubs, many will have received their formal coaching badges some time ago - including those throw-in coaches (a laughable, but true, post!) etc.

They're not all modern graduates of some infant univeristy of football. In fact, their experience - knowing what works and what doesn't - often stands them in better stead.

Young coaches are not necessarily good coaches, believe me. Been a long time since I did an FA badge, but I've seen some utter dross come through, acting like they know what they are doing purely because they are young and have fresh 'ideas' (which usually don't work).

A good coach is a good coach, regardless of age. It's just a case of staying on top of tactical (and other) developments. Ferguson did that for a very long time at Man Utd, for example. He was surprisingly adaptable - except when it came to trying to outhink a superb Barcelona side.

southbankbornnbred 2:58 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

Kenzo - I'm not optimistic, just staing the facts.

The board can sell West Ham from summer 2021 without incurring any additional costs GSB would need to pay the taxman (under the LLDC deal).

Moyes' current contract ends in summer 2021.

goose 2:55 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

i feel that the game is changing faster than ever these days.
data is being used everywhere, you have specific coaches for throw-ins, new fitness methods etc etc and we have guys who did their badges in 2003.

we are being left behind on and off the pitch.

Mr Kenzo 2:49 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

*So it could be all-change next year anyway. Board and manager.*

Wish I shared your optimism

southbankbornnbred 2:45 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

Goose - good points. I'm prepared to give this lot the benefit of the (many) doubts for this season, but only because I've got a feeling we'll be sold next summer, when Moyes' contract is also up.

So it could be all-change next year anyway. Board and manager.

But you're right, the current crop of coaches have not got much in the way of proven success. Moyes, for all of his bluster, and considering he landed the main job at what was then the biggest club in the world (by revenues at the time), hasn't won a thing - unless you count League One with Preston in 2000. And his staffers are not blessed with great track records thus far.

Still, it is what it is - and I hope they do well this term anyway...

Sven Roeder 12:47 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

I guess old dogs like Moyes can learn new tricks but it would nice to see some reflection of that in his coaching group
What hopefully he did learn was the importance of scouting , nutrition , conditioning & a medical department that can help prevent injury.
We will see if any changes emerge in those areas.

goose 12:38 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

Moyes made a big deal of telling everyone how he spent his time off watching the best teams in europe and how he wants to learn from them.

and then you employ someone who did their coaching badges almost 20 years ago alongside Phil Brown, Mark McGhee and Alan Pardew.

Sven Roeder 12:18 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

He never comes up in speculation for managers jobs so suspect he may have accepted that door is closed.
For that reason I’m not completely bothered by his managerial record.
It’s whether he contributes as a coach under a manager and particularly if he can help tighten up a defence that conceded far too many goals.
Particularly working with the full backs who were a glaring problem last season.

goose 12:08 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

he was blessed with a very good pool of players as the U21 coach.
they got found out whenever they came up against the bigger nations. the european championships in israel they were particularly poor. 3 defeats from 3??

Mr Kenzo 12:00 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

His record as boss of the England U21's was fairly decent, never seemed to really kick on in his Managerial career

ChillTheKeel 11:13 Wed Aug 19
Re: Stuart Pearce is back

They'll all be gone by November.

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