Nevin hails ‘healthy’ Hammers as he eyes survival
West Ham's new first-team coach Paul Nevin has praised the attitude of everyone at the club towards their ongoing relegation battle.
Nevin was appointed at the London Stadium before the winter break, joining former captain Kevin Nolan as a new face on David Moyes’ coaching staff alongside assistant manager Alan Irvine and goalkeeper coach Xavi Valero.
The 50-year-old was set to be on the touchline for the first time last Sunday, only for Storm Ciara to cause the Hammers’ trip to Manchester City to be postponed.
While that clogs up the club’s fixture list, there are positives to take as it gives the new-look staff extra time to work with the squad during their section of the Premier League’s hiatus.
The pair will now clash on Wednesday as Moyes’ men face a tough task to climb away from the relegation places in the coming weeks, with City, Liverpool, Southampton and Arsenal their next four fixtures.
Our @premierleague away fixture at @ManCity has been rescheduled for Wednesday 19 February at 7.30pm.
The Club is offering free return coach travel for all West Ham United fans attending. Details ⬇️
— West Ham United (@WestHam) February 11, 2020
Sitting 18th in the table, a point shy of 17th-placed Aston Villa, it would be easy for the mood in the camp to have dropped following a run of six games without victory.
Nevin, who was part of Gareth Southgate’s staff for last summer’s Nations League finals, has echoed Nolan’s recent words by insisting that is not the case.
Instead, the 50-year-old says he has seen nothing but positivity within the camp, adding that everyone is excited about getting back into the action.
“I’m impressed by the general attitude to the situation,” Nevin told the club’s official website. “There’s an energy in the building. I think you could go into a lot of clubs in this situation and feel like there’s a bit of negativity, a bit of doubt, but I don’t feel any of that here at all.
“There are smiling faces, there’s positive talk, there’s an anticipation for the games that are coming up from staff and players alike, so I think it’s a really healthy place to be.”
