Nuno Espirito Santo has already identified key West Ham problem after Everton draw
West Ham United finally showcased fighting spirit and quality in the second half of their 1-1 draw with Everton on Monday night.
David Sullivan opted for Nuno Espirito Santo to be Graham Potter’s successor as the Irons look to get back to winning ways.
During the 29 September showdown, West Ham fans chanted against Sullivan as they had seen enough from the mistakes and backwards steps made in recent years.
Jarrod Bowen‘s strike helped the Hammers to a point, as West Ham scored the first goal by an opposition team at The Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Nuno made brave calls for West Ham with his first starting line-up, as he alluded to one key element that fans have been crying out for.
Nuno Espirito Santo wants ‘physicality’ from his West Ham side
Potter’s final game as West Ham boss came in a 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace, where he played Mateus Fernandes and James Ward-Prowse in defensive midfield.
Nuno, however, opted for Fernandes to play higher and introduced Soungoutou Magassa for his first Premier League start, as the new head coach explained the decision before the game on Sky Sports.
“Physicality, I think he (Magassa) is a player who can bring some physicality here in the middle of the park, so we look forward to seeing it,” he said.
- Magassa won four of his eight ground duels
- He picked up a yellow card
- He had a pass completion of 88%
“The players understand that we have to make things different, we have to become a team that is more organised, and we don’t leave gaps, but the main message is that we compete well against Everton.“
Maggassa was then substituted at 59 minutes for youth product Freddie Potts, who also got stuck in defensively, making two tackles and competing in defensive and physical duels in the middle of the pitch.
There’s already been a huge shift in what West Ham look like as an outfit under Nuno, as more work will be done in the coming weeks.
- Read more: Nuno Espirito Santo failed by David Sullivan already after ‘poor’ West Ham moment vs Everton
West Ham look a different team under Nuno Espirito Santo
In the second half, West Ham looked like the team that deserved all three points as El Hadji Malick Diouf impressed and Lucas Paqueta seemed back to his best.
West Ham focused less on possession and more on staying a compact unit and trying to hurt Everton on the counter-attack.
| West Ham possession vs Crystal Palace | West Ham possession vs Everton |
| 57% | 48% |
Bowen’s goal came from a fast break, something that West Ham fans can look to see more of, as they take positive first steps under Nuno.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest West Ham United news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @westhamzone247