The Hammers made the decision to sack Graham Potter after a poor run of form and have brought in Nuno Espirito Santo. The quickness of this decision perhaps shouldn’t be surprising after the seemingly impromptu in-person meeting between Nuno, West Ham chairman David Sullivan, and vice-chair Karren Brady. This appointment represents a significant change in the club’s overall approach to governance. They’re focused on sharpening up defensively, which has as much as anything 2018 sunk their postseason hopes.
Graham Potter’s exit was announced after the Blues had slumped to a dismal 2-1 loss at home against Crystal Palace. The coach learned the news of his firing when he showed up for training on Saturday morning. Potter’s post was under fire too, as West Ham leaked almost three goals a game. The team’s defensive woes were only exasperated by giving up seven goals from set pieces this year.
Nuno Espirito Santo had suddenly become available after he was sacked by Nottingham Forest on September 9. He soon became West Ham’s number one target. Other possible candidates, including Slaven Bilic, expressed a desire to come back to the club. Sullivan just didn’t feel sure about their fit for the role. Nuno’s on-the-spot acceptance of the position exhibits his readiness to confront the impending storm clouds below.
The upcoming fixtures for West Ham include tough away games against Everton and Arsenal, but Nuno expressed his desire to start work immediately. His initial order of business will be correcting a major weakness on the team’s defensive front, which has lately turned into a glaring liability. The club’s struggles in defense have left them in a precarious position, leading to calls for a change in management.
David Moyes has achieved an historic feat as the sole manager to qualitatively improve blockbuster performance on the pitch. He has constructed a deep, trusting relationship with Sullivan and Brady. Judging by the way the club’s management acted this summer, they hope that Nuno can work those kinds of miracles. Apparently, many of West Ham’s squad were hoping Potter remained in his position. This shows a split in the locker room regarding the sudden firing of their last manager.
For all of Nuno’s tactical acumen, his greatest challenge will not be solely the club’s burgeoning player base but rather the expectations of that burgeoning club hierarchy. If he is to be successful at West Ham, he will need to navigate his new bosses and his new players with the same finesse. It is widely considered one of the toughest positions in football. The pressure to deliver results fast will be extreme, not least because of the club’s current precarious position at the bottom of the league.
Sullivan had been publicly hinting at Potter’s incompetence from the start, as conversations about his future grew more tense and covered in red lines. The move to mutually separate was not only warranted, but inevitable after an increasingly worse stretch of disappointing performances, including the lead up to last weekend’s loss. Potter’s contract contained an unusual break clause. This save clause allowed West Ham to sever his contract without honouring the full financial commitments of his contract, which ran through to the summer of 2027.
As Nuno gears up to oversee his first game in charge, his biggest test will be to instill confidence and resilience amongst the squad. We plan to reinforce our defensive plays right away. Along the way, we’ll encourage team cohesion even with conflicting feelings surrounding the new managerial hire.
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