Mateus Fernandes reveals behind-scenes West Ham figure who has helped Premier League revival
Mateus Fernandes believes that assistant coach Paco Jemez has been one of the key figures behind West Ham United’s recent Premier League revival.
The Hammers boosted their survival hopes further on Saturday evening, drawing 0-0 with Bournemouth at the London Stadium.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have lost just one of their last eight games across all competitions, a remarkable turnaround considering they looked all but relegated at the start of January.
West Ham are now only two points adrift of 17th-place Nottingham Forest after the weekend’s games, and will expect to go above Vitor Pereira’s side in the coming weeks.
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Mateus Fernandes praises Paco Jemez
West Ham made several signings in the winter transfer window, bringing in the likes of Taty Castellanos, Axel Disasi and Adama Traore to help strengthen their ranks.
However, their best addition of the month may have been off the pitch, as Nuno added Jemez to his coaching staff.
The Spaniard has extensive experience as a manager, including spells at Rayo Vallecano and Granada in La Liga, so it was somewhat of a coup for the Hammers to bring him in as part of the coaching staff.
According to West Ham midfielder Fernandes, Jemez has had a huge positive impact on the squad.
Speaking to The Athletic after the East London side’s draw with Bournemouth, Fernandes revealed the Jemez had instilled fighting spirit.
He said: “We’re very good defensively. (It’s) another clean sheet, but now we need to score, because if we score, we are comfortable defending. I think Paco Jemez has brought a lot of the fighting spirit.
“We are defending much better and trying to fight for the team. We are doing well, but we need to score our chances. It’s good we’re creating opportunities, but now we need to work on this part.”
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Will West Ham avoid relegation?
West Ham are only two points adrift of Nottingham Forest, but after recent weeks, Tottenham are now also in the relegation battle.
The Hammers are now just four points behind the north London outfit, who are yet to win a single game in 2026.
As it stands, Nuno’s side are still favourites to go down, along with Wolves and Burnley, but that narrative is quickly changing.
If West Ham can replicate their form from the last month for the rest of the season, then they will surely survive, with one of Forest or Spurs taking the plunge to the Championship.
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