Nuno Espírito Santo believes it will take time for him to build an identity and philosophy at West Ham. The former Nottingham Forest manager is adjusting to his latest role after a whirlwind start and is looking to connect with his new club’s culture on an emotional level.
Nuno, who was appointed following the brutal sacking of Graham Potter last weekend, said that longstanding members of staff have spent the week filling him in on life at West Ham. He smiled when asked for his interpretation of the West Ham way, a concept that means “gung-ho football” to some fans but passion and resilience to others.
“That’s what I’m trying to understand every day,” he said. “Every day they tell me this. It’s not about understanding. It goes much further. We have to feel it. I need some time to feel it. I’m starting to understand it, but I really have to feel it. And after we really feel it we have to put it inside of us.
“You have to put it inside of you. What makes the difference is the feeling, not only the understanding. If you feel, it goes much further. You’re talking about the philosophy and identity. How far are we from that? It’s not enough to say a ‘West Ham way’. Let’s build it, let’s create it, let’s feel it. Let’s identify ourselves with that.”
Nuno, who began his tenure with an encouraging 1-1 draw at Everton on Monday, was asked how far he is from developing an identity. “I think very far,” he said. “It’s so hard to do it. It requires so much effort from everybody at the club. But it’s a priority.”
There is often a demand from the fanbase for an exciting brand of football. David Moyes, the most successful West Ham manager of the modern era, eventually came under pressure because of his pragmatic approach. But Julen Lopetegui and Potter struggled to change the style of play in the post-Moyes era.
It falls to Nuno, who played a counterattacking style at Forest, to decide whether results are more important than entertainment.
West Ham have conceded 14 goals in their first six league games and are languishing in 19th place. “What determines the style of play is not the coach,” Nuno said. “What determines the style of play is the squad. It’s not the coach.
“We have to find the balance between the two parts of the game. The defensive part and the offensive part. We cannot attack with an unbalanced way because we open spaces for our opponents. We have to defend, organise, but always with a priority. When we recover, what are we going to do with the ball?”
West Ham could welcome back Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jean-Clair Todibo when they visit Arsenal on Saturday. Nuno also left the door open for a recall for James Ward-Prowse, who was dropped from the squad against Everton. Ward-Prowse briefly played for Nuno at Forest last season but the midfielder was not a regular and his loan spell was cut short in February.
