Nuno Espirito Santo has to take initiative, West Ham must go gung-ho with team selection
Nuno Espirito Santo and West Ham United are in a precarious situation, where nothing more than three points are needed in each and every game to end the season.
The Portuguese manager will be at the drawing board, coming up with ways to make that happen.
Against Arsenal, the Hammers’ manager nearly masterminded a draw against the now likely Premier League champions.
In that game, Nuno opted to use formation he has rarely chosen to utitlise this season, and that is a three-at-the-back.
However, ahead of West Ham’s final games this season, the Irons boss must be braver in his decision making, as survival depends on it.
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Why three-at-the-back cannot be used at West Ham in final two games
This season, Nuno has shown a willingness to adapt his formation. There have been numerous cases where he has used variations of a four-back.
However, he has also turned to a three-man or five-man, depending on how you look at it, defence throughout this season.
| Formation | Times used |
| 4-2-3-1 | 10 |
| 4-4-1-1 | 8 |
| 4-5-1 | 3 |
| 3-4-2-1 | 2 |
| 4-3-3 Attacking | 2 |
| 4-3-1-2 | 2 |
| 3-4-3 | 2 |
| 4-1-4-1 | 2 |
| 4-4-2 | 1 |
| 4-3-2-1 | 1 |
| 3-4-1-2 | 1 |
That sort of formation is undoubtedly more passive in approach. Having five defenders on the pitch at the same time is designed to keep things tight at the back.
It was the same formation used against Arsenal, one which almost worked and secured a vital point for the Irons.
However, that loss versus the Gunners only further highlighted that this system continues to backfire on Nuno.
In the five games he has opted to use a three-man defence, the Hammers have yet to win. In fact, they have drawn three times and lost twice.
Yes, using it against certain opposition earlier in the season may have worked, but now with must-win games on the horizon, Nuno must revert to solely going with four at the back.
West Ham lost to Leeds earlier in the season using three-man defence
The game against Leeds United could ultimately be a crucial deciding game in the relegation battle, and in the reverse fixture, Nuno used a three-at-the-back.
This was one of the matches in which the Hammers lost out of those five aforementioned games. The Whites secured a 2-1 win on the day.
The situation now requires bravery and West Ham to go gung-ho in their games. Passive play will not bring in wins.
Nuno must simply go for it in the final two matches in order to save the Irons’ Premier League status, especially with Newcastle being favourites to beat West Ham.