It has been two days since West Ham lost to Wolves at Molineux, but manager Nuno Espirito Santo still finds it difficult to recover from his side’s first-half collapse. Why did something so terrible happen?
“To be honest, I don’t know yet,” he told Sky Sports. “We watch the game, we analyze the game, we talk about the game and the players are aware of what happened in the game.
“It was bad. We had a bad start. We made some mistakes. It’s hard to explain. It’s not just about the first mistake, it’s about not reacting to those mistakes not only defensively but also offensively.”
“His passing line was a yard out and he didn’t give his teammates an advantageous pass…A lot of things went wrong with the Wolves.”
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West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo says the club still needs to sign more players despite having already made two signings in January.
Nuno said the loss was his worst as a manager. It’s been nearly 15 years since he started his career in the dugout, but he says it’s never been easier to deal with a setback like Saturday.
“It’s the worst feeling in the world. Believe me, there are a lot of bad things, but when you’re doing this job, it’s really hard. It haunts you and it drags you down for a while until the next game.”
The way they lost highlighted the players’ lack of confidence. West Ham’s unbeaten run extended to nine games. “Yes, it also has to do with confidence,” says Nuno. But the timing made it even more painful for the head coach.
West Ham, who are in 18th place, ended a three-game losing streak with a 2-2 draw with Brighton at home in the previous round, and a win could have narrowed the gap to Nottingham Forest to just one point.
“I was performing very well before,” Nuno says. “In the last game we played really well. We had a good performance and a good result, but we could have won even with a draw.
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Nuno Espirito Santo apologizes to West Ham fans for defeat against Wolves
“We were on the brink of something, we felt like we were almost there and then at Wolves we really took a step back, which is hugely frustrating for me, the team and the players.
“We know what we are trying to build, but suddenly after 10 or 15 minutes it creates a lot of doubt and that affects the confidence of the players. This is natural.”
“Now it’s up to us to reset and understand that what really matters is tomorrow. In football, what you do on that day is important. We have to have confidence in ourselves. We have to have faith in the person next to us.”
A change in mentality is necessary
Restoring the confidence of his players will be one of Nuno’s biggest challenges as he prepares to face another former club at Forest. They cannot afford a start like Molineux.
But he cited protecting the lead as a bigger issue.
West Ham’s Olly Scarless expresses his dissatisfaction
West Ham have dropped 12 points this season. This happened twice against Brighton under Nuno, with other examples occurring against Aston Villa and Bournemouth.
“When you’re in front in a game, when you score a goal and there’s 10 or 15 minutes left, the special situation we’re in, your instinct is to defend,” Nuno explains.
“You’re protecting yourself by holding on to something.
“To make that change, we need to realize that maybe it should be the other way around. We have something, let’s protect it by attacking, let’s protect it by being more aggressive.”
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Nuno Espirito Santo reacts to Manchester United’s sacking of Ruben Amorim
Asked if he was referring to a change in mentality, Nuno nods.
“I need it, I need it, I need it, I need it,” he repeats.
Of course, Nuno himself has a role to play in this. Some of his replacements have been questioned by fans. Does he understand the importance of making in-game changes to maintain momentum?
“Yes. That’s why I think this transfer window will be very helpful in terms of rebalancing the squad and giving us the option to change our mindset,” he says. “If I had another option instead of doing it this way, I would probably do it this way.”
Why the January contract is key
It therefore helps that the club has shown a willingness to back a head coach in the January transfer window.
West Ham have already completed the signing of two forwards, Pablo Felipe from Gil Vicente and Tati Castellanos from Lazio, and are in talks to potentially sign Fulham winger Adama Traore, another target confirmed by Nuno.
West Ham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo poses with new signings Pablo Felipe and Tati Castellanos (Photo: West Ham United FC)
Nuno says he is “grateful” for the early transfer.
“I’m grateful because we needed it. I think we did well in a transfer window that was very difficult to manage. Pablo was in the Wolves game, but now we have Tati and I hope he can do more.”
“I hope I can do more because now is the right time to influence the team and give them the help they deserve and need. We need options.”
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Nuno is excited about what his first two attacking recruits will bring. He said Pablo was a “talented player, dynamic, hardworking and a good kid”, while Castellanos, who is five years older at 27, was described as a “slightly more experienced” and “mobile” signing.
“We are really positive,” Nuno adds. “I think the club is working really hard on that front, but we have to realize that it was really important to do that. There’s a lot of football to play and we need to be stronger so we can compete with more weapons.”
Courage is required against Forest.
They definitely need to be ready for the battle against Nottingham Forest. Like Nuno, Sean Dyche also needs a positive result. The team’s loss to Aston Villa on Saturday was their fourth straight defeat.
This will be an important match for both teams in the relegation battle.
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A look back at part of the press conference that marked the beginning of the end for Premier League managers for some clubs
“We have to fight,” Nuno said when asked what he would like to see from his side of the Wolves game. “We have to react to mistakes. We have to be braver and stronger.
“It’s about mentality, tactical effort, energy, so many things. We have to get it together because we know we have a tough opponent in front of us.
“It’s going to be a very tough game. We have to be aware of the danger that Forest have. At the same time, we are also aware that they will be up against a very determined West Ham side.”
Nuno is so focused on West Ham that he has no sentimentality about playing against his former team. “It’s not disrespect, it’s not about that. It’s about love, respect, good times and all those things. Tomorrow everything will be put aside and everything will be about West Ham.”
West Ham have only won two games under manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
The job he took on became all-consuming.
“I don’t think about anything else,” he added. “There are so many things happening in the world that sometimes I’m surprised. I’m like, ‘Wait, something like this happened?’ It’s really strange.”
The former Forest manager can expect a warm welcome from the away fans at the London Stadium on Tuesday. But what is his message to West Ham’s players going into such an important game knowing that there is an urgent need for a turnaround?
“I think the fans are aware,” he says. “They know the team very well, the players, the team and football very well.
“We need them. But it’s up to us. It’s up to us to start donating.”
Watch West Ham vs Nottingham Forest live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 7pm on Tuesday. Kickoff at 8pm
