Nuno Espirito Santo gets it all wrong as struggling West Ham star set for controversial return
Nuno Espirito Santo could be about to make a major mistake during the early stages of his tenure at West Ham.
The Portuguese has a difficult job on his hands in E20, with the Hammers already sitting inside the Premier League’s bottom three after just seven games of the new season.
Nuno has not had chance to mould the West Ham side into his image yet, and as a result, he has largely been sticking to the formula which saw the team struggle under his predecessor Graham Potter.
However, the international break will have provided the 51-year-old with some valuable time to assess his options, and he could be about to hand a controversial lifeline to this star who was axed by Potter.
Mads Hermansen set to get fresh chance at West Ham
Mads Hermansen came under fire at West Ham for their disastrous start in the opening games of the campaign.
The Denmark international was between the posts as the Hammers shipped 11 goals in their opening four league games of the campaign, a run which also bizarrely included a clean sheet at Nottingham Forest.
He was then axed by Potter following the home defeat to Tottenham, with Alphonse Areola donning the gloves ever since.
Hermansen’s form was a major talking point at the start of the season, with many fans questioning his credentials to be a Premier League goalkeeper.
| Stats (per game) | Hermansen Total |
| Goals Conceded | 2.8 |
| Saves | 2.3 (45%) |
| Goals Prevented | -1.7 |
| Accurate Passes | 21.3 (62%) |
| Clean Sheets | 1 |
Nuno has also favoured Areola in the early stages of his reign, but that could be about to change based on a recent interview that he has given.
“When I got here, the change in the goalkeeper position had already been made,” the former Wolves boss told Tipsbladet.
“But we have seen a good and top professional goalkeeper (Hermansen), who works hard, like many of his teammates.
“We felt, when we got to the club and had limited time, that we should continue with Alphonse (Areola). But all players are going to get their chances. It is a new start for all of them.”
Understandably, the new boss wants to completely assess every player that he has at his disposal, but he would surely face a backlash from the fans if Hermansen comes back into the fold.
The Hammers need yet another goalkeeping addition in January
Hermansen’s arrival at West Ham quickly came under scrutiny, as they desperately tried to line up another goalkeeping addition in the final stages of the summer window.
The Hammers now face a bizarre situation where they are back relying on Areola, who was deemed to be surplus to requirements as a number one at the end of last season.
With that in mind, they now find themselves in a position where they need to bring in another goalkeeper in January, regardless of Nuno’s final verdict on Hermansen.
At the moment, the new boss has a choice between two ‘keepers who have major question marks over them, and that isn’t a promising situation for him by any means.
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