Callum Wilson decision backfires for Nuno Espirito Santo after West Ham defeat vs Newcastle
Callum Wilson failed to make his mark for West Ham United after a rare chance to start came his way.
It was a bold move by Nuno Espirito Santo to put the Englishman into the fray from the start in place of Taty Castellanos.
The Argentine has been a bright spark for the Hammers since making his January move to the E20 outfit.
Wilson, however, has been promising in his brief stints off the bench, but making this gamble so late into the season was always a risk.
Unfortunately, the risk did not have reward, as Wilson was quite poor for West Ham against Newcastle, with Nuno likely regretting his choice on reflection.
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How did Callum Wilson fare against his former club for West Ham?
For much of the season, Nuno has been requested to start Wilson in key games, with his goals-to-minutes rate one of the best in the squad.
However, after opting to start Wilson at St James’ Park, it became abundantly clear as to why the forward has simply been an option off the bench.
| Callum Wilson off the bench for West Ham | Total |
| Goals | 3 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Points won | 7 |
Against Newcastle, Wilson had just one shot on goal. Additionally, he completed zero percent of his four attempted dribbles.
The veteran forward also won just four out of his 12 attempted duels and lost possession on 14 occasions. Unfortunately, when it mattered most, Wilson proved Nuno right to be snubbing him for much of the season.
Castellanos’ performance off the bench further proved the Portuguese manager got his selection decisions wrong against Newcastle.
Nuno will regret other decisions against Newcastle too
While the decision to start Wilson backfired, the Portuguese manager will also be reeling in his choice to start with five defenders.
A draw was simply not good enough for the Irons, and only a win would have put real pressure on Tottenham heading into their match against Chelsea.
While five defenders can work against teams such as Arsenal or Manchester City, Newcastle were there to be attacked rather than simply soaking up pressure.
West Ham’s chances of survival are now extremely slim, and the choice to go defensive rather than on the front foot will be sticking in Nuno’s mind.
Unless there is a miracle, afforded to the Irons by Chelsea and Everton, the Hammers look effectively relegated as things stand.