Eddy
West Ham United are edging towards reaching an agreement with managerial candidate Nuno Espirito Santo to take over from head coach Graham Potter and, following a woeful start to the season, he could be exactly what is needed if the London Stadium hierarchy want to return to the European adventures enjoyed during David Moyes’ tenure.
The Hammers made significant changes to their squad during the summer transfer window – with Mateus Fernandes, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Soungoutou Magassa being among the big-names to arrive in the capital – but disastrous performances and results have resulted in them already being fearful of suffering relegation from the Premier League.
Last weekend’s defeat to Crystal Palace means that West Ham have still only registered one win this term, which came against Nottingham Forest before the international break, and co-owner David Sullivan needs to quickly make an alteration in the dugout if he wants to save their season.
Nuno Capable of Guiding Hammers Back into Europe
West Ham are closer to agreeing a deal for Nuno to be appointed as their next boss, according to respected journalist Alan Nixon, and there is no doubt that he would be a better option than Potter at this stage. The Hammers have been awful when it comes to defending corners, look blunt in attack and, as a result, are in desperate need of fresh ideas.
The Hammers are in the Premier League’s relegation zone and, although it appears a managerial change will not be made before the journey to Everton’s brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday, Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady are seriously contemplating wielding the axe.
Nuno is on the market after being sacked by Nottingham Forest earlier this month, making him an even more attractive option for West Ham, and his time at the City Ground highlighted that he could be the perfect candidate to steer the east Londoners back to challenging for European qualification.
Statistic: Nuno Espirito Santo guided Nottingham Forest to 30 wins over the course of his 71-match reign
The 51-year-old tactician guided the Tricky Trees into the Europa League last season, following Crystal Palace’s demotion, with a counter-attacking style of play that was very similar to what Moyes utilised during his successful spell in the Hammers’ hot-seat, meaning it may turn out to be a recipe for success.
Nuno always prioritises making his side defensively sound, which is a key reason why Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels came within touching distance of winning the top flight’s Golden Glove award during the 2024/25 campaign. West Ham are conceding far too many goals at the moment, so he could be what is needed.
Nuno’s Style and Links to Rivals Could Divide Fanbase
Although Nuno using a similar style of play to Moyes can be seen as a positive, some may also feel it is a negative. After all, there was a large section of West Ham fans desperate for the latter to be sacked because they wanted to see their side on the front foot with an entertaining brand of football.
The fact that the former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss also had a spell in charge of arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur will also not go down well in some quarters but, ultimately, his record shows that he can get Hammers fans dreaming of returning to the days when they were winning the Europa Conference League.
Nuno would quickly make West Ham structurally sound, boosting their hopes of maintaining their top flight status, and his counter-attacking philosophy would also play to the strengths of the likes of captain Jarrod Bowen and the electric Crysencio Summerville on the opposite flank. The bottom line is that Sullivan and Brady need to quickly make a change or risk dropping into the Championship, and he would be an upgrade on Potter.
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