Nuno commits sackable offence with call made on player in West Ham humiliation vs Wolves
Nuno Espirito Santo’s days at West Ham are numbered following the 3-0 defeat to Wolves on Saturday.
Jhon Arias gave Wolves the lead before Hwang Hee-Chan converted from the penalty spot after Soungoutou Magassa fouled Mateus Mane.
Mane then scored his first Premier League goal with a fierce low drive in the 41st minute, and the Hammers failed to show any fight in the second half as they slumped to their worst defeat of the season.
The result leaves West Ham four points adrift of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, and they missed a huge opportunity to boost their survival hopes at Molineux Stadium.
Nuno is under severe pressure, and he didn’t help himself by keeping Callum Wilson on the pitch.
Callum Wilson should have been subbed off for Pablo at half-time
Wilson was fantastic for West Ham in November, scoring three goals in two games and adapting well to Nuno‘s system.
However, he has since been on a dry spell in front of goal, and it’s no shock that the Hammers have heavily invested in strikers already in the January transfer window.
New signing Pablo was on the bench, but Nuno refused to bring him on as West Ham aimed to mount a comeback in the second half.
| Stat | Wilson |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Shots | 1 |
| Expected goals | 0.06 |
| Pass accuracy | 77% |
Wilson had the fewest touches (21) of any outfield player to play 90 minutes, and remained on the periphery of the match.
It was clear a change was needed, and many would have wanted the new signing brought on as early as possible.
With Taty Castellanos expected to join West Ham imminently, striker woes may not be a problem for the remainder of the season.
However, Saturday’s affair couldn’t have gone worse, and with the Hammers hosting Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, Nuno has to select Pablo in his starting lineup.
Not all of West Ham’s problems boil down to the final third, and although work has to be done from a defensive aspect, Nuno needs a striker he can count on for the Forest clash.
West Ham have failed to play to Callum Wilson’s strengths this season
The Hammers were dealt a huge blow before kick-off as Lucas Paqueta failed a late fitness test to be involved against Wolves.
Despite the lack of creativity in midfield, the Hammers simply didn’t offer enough threat against the Premier League’s worst team, registering just one shot in the first half.
Wilson shouldn’t be expected to lead the line, but when he has, the Hammers have failed to get the ball out wide and swing crosses into the box.
His movement in the box is elite, but when West Ham are slow in possession, as they were against Wolves, he is rendered virtually useless.
Pablo is set to come in for the veteran striker, and at 184cm tall, he can be a handful for opposition defenders in the box.
Nuno simply has no room for more slip-ups, and if the Hammers fail to beat Forest, then it seems almost certain that David Sullivan will have no other choice but to sack him.
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