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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Sam Tabuteau

West Ham set for new arrivals this month as Nuno Espirito Santo priorities revealed

New West Ham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo expects to have his backroom staff in place before the end of the October international break.

However, while negotiations are ongoing, there are unlikely to be any appointments made before Saturday’s game away to Arsenal.

Nuno, who has only been in the job for five days, worked alongside Mark Robson, Gerard Prenderville, Billy Lepine and Steve Potts in the dugout during the 1-1 draw with Everton on Monday night.

The four West Ham academy coaches stepped in to assist the Portuguese in his first game in charge, but he is expected to bring in his own backroom staff over the coming weeks.

Negotiations to bring Nuno to West Ham were swift, particularly given that the club wanted someone in place before their game against Everton.

West Ham will use the international break to fill those coaching vacancies, with Graham Potter’s entire backroom team having left the club. Though there is no rush to bring people in, with Nuno working well alongside Robson, Prenderville, Lepine and Potts.

Work on the training ground during Nuno’s first few days in charge has focused on building solidity and structure after a disastrous start to the new campaign.

No Premier League team has conceded more goals than West Ham so far this season, and their frailties from crosses into the box were on full display against Everton as Michael Keane headed home from James Garner’s in-swinging delivery.

In the short time he has had with his new squad, Nuno has prioritised set-piece and defensive organisation.

His Nottingham Forest side, particularly in the first half of last season, were heralded for their defensive structure and had not conceded from a corner by October last year.

West Ham, by contrast, have conceded the most goals from corners of any team in the top-flight this season.

Nuno has a lot of work on his hands, with the unenviable task of heading to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

As they showed against Everton, though, there is a new-found resilience to West Ham under their new head coach as they look to steer away from the relegation zone.

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