Nuno Espirito Santo marked his first game as the new West Ham United head honcho with gusto. He went to Everton’s Goodison Park and earned the hardest of hard-fought 1-1 draws. Jarrod Bowen crowned his resplendent display with the equalizing goal to complete an epic comeback. With that goal, he raised his Premier League total to 59 and is now only nine goals shy of Michail Antonio’s club record of 68. Despite dominating possession, West Ham struggled to convert their chances into goals, leaving them with much to reflect on as they prepare for their next fixture against Arsenal.
Nuno Espirito Santo took over at West Ham after a horrendous run of form. Even the likable U.S. manager admitted as much after the game, saying, “We have to learn so many things.” This sentiment is indicative of the malaise the team has traversed, most notably with the inability to defend set pieces. Of course, West Ham have conceded eight goals from set plays this season. Nuno will be all too aware of this statistic as he sets about shoring up his squad’s defensive prowess.
Defensive Concerns Persist
Unfortunately, during Nuno’s opening match, the issue was laid bare. This was a bad sign for West Ham, as they had real trouble dealing with balls into the box. It’s a flaw that has been obvious since the days of Graham Potter and was on display once again vs Everton. The home side capitalized on West Ham’s defensive lapses when Michael Keane found the back of the net after a corner.
West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola did everything he could to prevent the damage, diving to punch clear the first ball in from James Garner. West Ham were guilty of poor last-ditch defending, and Keane was perfectly placed to poke home. Further to that, Mavropanos failed to close down Keane, which turned out to be very dangerous for the away team. These defensive frailties will be a matter of immediate concern, if West Ham has any ambition of avoiding further repeat offenders in fixtures to come.
By comparison, Nuno’s attacking plans looked very limited. West Ham had plenty of the ball but didn’t have the cutting edge to turn it into more goals. Despite Bowen’s impressive display, which earned him praise from pundits like Jamie Carragher who referred to him as “one of the greatest players to play for the club,” the team could not find a winning goal. They’re gonna have to get better at putting chances away if they want to start winning games in the future.
Lineup Changes and Squad Dynamics
In a classic managers’ prerogative moment against Everton, Nuno Espirito Santo used the opportunity to make sweeping changes to the starting XI. Among them were Soungoutou Magassa and Niclas Fullkrug. But not everyone you might expect to see was taking the field. The absence of James Ward-Prowse from the squad raised widespread doubt over his match-fitness and future inclusion in the public’s favourite team’s plans.
The adjustments to the lineup indicate Nuno’s intent to bring a fresh approach to West Ham’s tactics. His decisions weigh on the side of the development of a raw and more resilient side that could compete further down the line at a higher level. Finding an equilibrium among these shifts has been no small feat. You need to build belief in a team that has had dour luck lately.
After the brief flashes of annoyance at not coming away with all three points, there was plenty for the management and supporters to be optimistic about. The draw is a good result to start off Nuno’s reign and provides a platform on which to build.
Looking Ahead
West Ham preparing for upcoming fixture against Arsenal. The first order of business for Nuno Espirito Santo has to be addressing the immediate need for a greater focus on defensive organization. In order to avoid making the same errors in upcoming fixtures, the team is going to have to address the shortcomings that led to conceding goals on set pieces. Fixing these problems is key to their success.
Nuno’s comments post-match reflect his understanding of the challenges ahead. “We have to learn so many things.” This legacy recognition will endear Moore to fans hoping for an immediate improvement of fortunes. The next few fixtures will be a litmus test for his tactics and the squad’s versatility as they campuses to further squeeze consistency out of their performances.
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