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What West Ham are getting in Kevin Nolan and Paul Nevin as coaches

By Adam Smith

NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - JULY 21: Kevin Nolan, the Notts County manager looks on durng the pre-season friendly match between Notts County and Leicester City at Meadow Lane on July 21, 2018 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - JULY 21: Kevin Nolan, the Notts County manager looks on durng the pre-season friendly match between Notts County and Leicester City at Meadow Lane on July 21, 2018 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images) /
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West Ham have announced the signing of both Kevin Nolan and Paul Nevin as backroom staff with the senior team. What can we expect from the new coaching additions to David Moyes’ team?

Kevin Nolan

A man who is familiar with the club, and who the supporters are very familiar with too, Kevin Nolan brings a hardnosed work ethic with an emphasis on hard work and physicality to the midfield. Having played 157 matches for the club, scoring 31 goals and adding 18 assists over that stretch of time, Nolan knows what the West Ham supporters want and can hopefully inspire the team to better performances.

Nolan does have managerial experience as well. The 37-year-old has had two stints as a gaffer, one for Leyton Orient and the other for Notts County. From January to April in 2016, Nolan managed Leyton Orient for 15 matches, winning 7 matches, drawing 2, and losing 6 for a 46.7% win rate. He followed this up with an 84 match stretch with Notts County in League Two from January 2017 to August 2018. Nolan had a 41.7 win percentage as manager here

Hopefully, Nolan brings with him the attitude he showed in this interview. Keeping the Notts players after the game to go over individual and team failures, not in an effort to embarrass the players, but to show them what went wrong, why it went wrong, and how to never let it happen again. A revelation in the making.

Paul Nevin

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 05: (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 05: (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images) /

The lesser-known of the duo, but the more experienced manager, Paul Nevin comes with a strong CV and can, like Nolan, make an instant impact in David Moyes’ managerial team. A career manager, 51-year-old Nevin has managed in six different leagues/systems, working his way up from the academy level to managing in the Premier League and in the England International system.

Nevin began coaching in the Fulham Academy from 1997-2005, moved to manage New Zealand Knights FC from 2006-2007, moved to Aspire Academy from 2007-2012 (developing his scouting and youth coaching more so), followed by a move to Premier League team Norwich where he was promoted to head coach and stayed with the team from 2012-2014 before accepting an offer to work for the Premier League as Head of Academy Coach. Nevin then moved to Brighton and Hove Albion from 2016-2019 before being appointed a position in Gareth Southgate’s England coaching team.

A huge asset to David Moyes, Nevin will likely look to involve youth in the team and provide coaching to the team’s younger players, helping them grow into first-team starters. This is a massive bonus to the Academy players who train with the first team, as well as the younger core that is being integrated and relied on for first-team stability.

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Overall, this was long overdue and desperately needed at West Ham. David Moyes has been managing with just Alan Irvine and Xavi Valero since his appointment and has needed more backroom staff for some time. Nevin brings experience and Nolan brings history with the team. The duo is a great start to steadying the Hammers this season.