Mark Noble's return to football's front line as West Ham's sporting director is a welcome encore for one of the game's good guys.
But after 18 years as a player, if fans think he is just going to be a cheerleader in a suit, they could not be more mistaken. The sporting director's role at a football club now comes with almost as much pressure as the manager or head coach – and I should know, because my job at Macclesfield is unrelenting, unforgiving and 24/7.
It's also frustrating, time-consuming and draining when you get it wrong – and not to be confused with an ambassador, who meets and greets supporters or sponsors on matchdays. You are the link between the board and the manager, and you need to work with people you can trust.
Noble is a legend among the Hammers fanbase, and deservedly so, but now he is at the sharp end. The first thing I did was to bring in a head of recruitment, a super-scout who could identify potential new signings and find out if their backgrounds would fit in with our culture and our level. That's an area where Noble will be a vital link in the culture and future direction of West Ham on the pitch. Good luck to him – and welcome to the land of sleepless nights!
Delivering European football in consecutive seasons doesn't stop the tide going out on managers under pressure – and the currents have not been kind to David Moyes. When managers have a tough time, the critics tend to look back and make a poor run of results seem even worse by stretching back into the previous season. In the Premier League, the Hammers' last 14 games have yielded just nine points from a possible 42. Reasonable fans, and balanced opinions, will look beyond those stats and acknowledge the tremendous job Moyes has done. But I hope the tide does not go out on him much further – because I didn't have West Ham, or Leicester for that matter, in my bottom three before a ball was kicked in August.
Ten Hag rewards key qualities
As a father, it's been a gratifying few days after my son Charlie was called to train with Manchester United's first-team pool and made his debut for Wales Under-21s against Austria. When I was a youngster who didn't make the grade at United, I used to play reserve team games in the Pontins League with legends like Bryan Robson or Steve Bruce, if they were on the comeback trail from injury, and I was like a sponge. I couldn't learn enough from senior players who were such role models. Does current United manager Erik ten Hag put more emphasis on what he sees in training than age-group games? I don't know the answer to that – but by rewarding Charlie's application and work ethic, he's put a spring in an old man's step.
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Cooper axe would be absurd
Hopefully it doesn't come to pass, but let's put it out there on the record – just in case the unthinkable happens. If Nottingham Forest ditch manager Steve Cooper, after the miracle he procured last season, it would be the most ridiculous sacking of all time in my book. A year ago this week, Cooper took over when Forest were bottom of the Championship and he led them to promotion, ending a fantastic club's 23-year exile from the Premier League.
They have invested upwards of £160 million on 22 new players in the summer window - it will take time for Cooper to find the right blend and fit the jigsaw pieces together. If there is even an inch of truth in the rumours that Cooper's position is under threat, let's spell it out: It would be one of the worst decisions in the history of football.
Meanwhile, the most refreshing team in the Premier League over the first block of fixtures? Take a bow, Fulham. Lots of people, including me, feared they would go down. But from the first minute of the season, when they got stuck into Liverpool, Marco Silva's side have been dynamic, enterprising – and really good to watch. There's a long way to go, and safety is a long haul, not a quick march. But I have been pleasantly surprised, and mightily impressed, with Fulham so far.
