What Nuno’s Wolves and Nottingham Forest spells reveal about West Ham’s recruitment problems
Nuno Espirito Santo is a good manager, but he may not be good enough to save West Ham from relegation.
West Ham’s 2-1 loss to Leeds on Friday night could be the blow that suggests the Hammers may be headed for the Championship.
Nuno wanted to instil a winning mentality at West Ham, but so far Hammers fans have seen nothing of it, bar a second-half performance against Everton.
Following a recent 2-0 home defeat to Brentford, West Ham started to look likely for relegation, as the loss to the Whites has only made things worse.
What Hammers fans might not see yet is that Nuno is a good manager, as records for Wolves and Nottingham Forest in one key area prove, prove just how bad West Ham‘s recruitment has been.
Nuno’s defensive records at Nottingham Forest and Wolves were immense
West Ham’s board has been at the heart of criticism, and rightly so. David Sullivan and Karren Brady have come under fire for many things, including allowing Julen Lopetegui to have a £100m transfer kitty to use.
Since arriving, Nuno’s West Ham have already conceded seven goals in four games, but he’s proven that when given a competent defence, he can get results.
| Team and season | Games | Goals conceded | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| Nottingham Forest 2024-25 | 38 | 46 | 19 | 8 | 11 |
| Wolves 2017-18 | 46 | 39 | 30 | 9 | 7 |
With Nuno’s current record in charge of West Ham, if the Hammers were to average seven goals conceded every four games in the Premier League over the course of a 38-game season, they would end with 66.5 goals conceded.
West Ham have been vulnerable in many areas, but set-pieces remain a particular weakness, something Nottingham Forest rarely struggled with under Nuno last season.
Attacking struggles exist at E20, but defensive issues are the main concern Nuno needs help with in January, and West Ham’s recruitment offers little confidence.
West Ham can’t seem to buy good defenders
For all of Nuno’s brilliant defensive track record at his previous sides, there is simply little to nothing he can do about the quality at his disposal at West Ham.
Sullivan and Brady sanctioned the £40m transfer of Max Kilman from Wolves, with Jean-Clair Todibo also coming for £36.5m from OGC Nice.
Ratings according to Sofascore:
- Todibo has averaged a 6.60 rating in the last 12 months
- Kilman has averaged a 6.76 rating for West Ham this season in the Premier League
- Kyle Walker-Peters has averaged a 6.65 rating in the Premier League for West Ham
Kyle Walker-Peters on the other hand, was brought to the London Stadium for free this summer, but so far, it’s clear to see why he didn’t cost a penny.
There’s potential that if West Ham don’t recruit smart in the January transfer window, that Nuno will walk.
Given the Hammers’ recent record of bringing poor defenders to E20, that could be a possibility, as relegation looms.
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