West Ham United are standing by Nuno Espirito Santo despite reports suggesting players are “losing faith” in the Portuguese boss. Nuno, 51, has found it difficult to reverse the Hammers’ declining form since taking over from Graham Potter at the end of September. The east London outfit currently sit 18th in the Premier League table, trailing 17th-placed Nottingham Forest by four points.
They also endured a crushing 3-1 loss to Wolves, handing the Midlands club their first Premier League victory of the season. West Ham have responded by securing Brazilian striker Pablo Felipe for £21.7million, whilst Lazio’s Taty Castellanos is reportedly close to completing a £26m switch. However, before Nuno can begin integrating his new signings, he must regain the trust of his current squad.
According to The Guardian, West Ham are anticipated to persist with Nuno, despite the former Tottenham Hotspur boss winning just two of his 15 matches at the helm. It is claimed some within the Hammers’ dressing room believe Nuno’s man-management and communication skills are inadequate.
The report describes him as being “distant and uncommunicative on a day-to-day basis.” It’s further said that numerous players have grown frustrated with his training approach and team selection decisions, whilst certain fringe players feel they have minimal prospects of breaking into his first-team plans.
Former Southampton skipper James Ward-Prowse remains a notable omission from recent squads. The former England star hasn’t been included in a single match-day squad since Santo took over from Potter in September.
He also has previous experience with the current West Ham manager, as it was Nuno who prematurely ended his loan spell at Nottingham Forest last season.
However, reports suggest that the Portuguese coach is currently overseeing West Ham’s transfer targets this season, indicating he will remain in his role for the foreseeable future. It is thought that Castellanos is set to undergo a medical ahead of a likely move to the London Stadium.
Despite this, former West Ham player and manager Slaven Bilic has recently been linked with the position. The Croatian holds a special place in the hearts of Hammers fans, having managed the team during their final campaign at Upton Park, which saw them finish 7th.
Following the defeat to Nuno’s old club Wolves, the disheartened West Ham boss confessed he was feeling as low as he ever has. He stated: “I have to apologise to the fans, I have to apologise. We have to apologise to the fans, those that travelled today, it was embarrassing.
“There’s not much I can say other than we are sorry, we are sorry, because what we showed today was not good enough. We needed much more from our players.
“The way we started and the way we performed was very poor, it was embarrassing because I don’t recall one day that I felt so bad on a football pitch like today.”