Nuno Espirito Santo exclusive interview: West Ham need a mentality change and why January signings are crucial | Football News

Two days on from West Ham’s defeat by Wolves at Molineux, Nuno Espirito Santo is still finding it difficult to get his head around his side’s first-half collapse. Why did it go so badly wrong?

“I’m very honest with you, I still don’t know,” he tells Sky Sports. “We looked at the game, we analysed the game, we spoke about the game, the players are aware of what happened in the game.

“It was bad. We started bad. We made mistakes. It’s difficult to explain. It’s not about only the first mistake, it’s that we didn’t react to that mistake, not only in defence but in offence.

“The lines of the pass, passes one yard away, not passing with advantage to the team-mates… Many things went wrong at Wolves.”

Nuno described the defeat as his worst in management. He is nearly 15 years into his career in the dugout but it does not get any easier, he says, to deal with setbacks like Saturday’s.

“It’s the worst feeling in the world, believe me. There are so many bad things that happen, but when you are in this job, it’s really hard. It haunts you and it drags on for a while, until the next match.”

The manner of the defeat underlined the lack of confidence among his players. West Ham’s unbeaten run now stretches to nine games. “Yes, it has to do with confidence also,” says Nuno. But it was made more painful for the head coach because of its timing.

West Ham, in 18th, could have closed the gap to Nottingham Forest to one point with a win, having stopped a run of three consecutive losses with last week’s 2-2 draw at home to Brighton.

“Previously, we performed really well,” says Nuno. “In the previous match, we competed really well. We have been having good performance and good results, draws that could have been wins.

“We were on the verge of something. We felt that we were almost there and we really went backwards at Wolves. That’s a big frustration for me and for us, the squad, the players.

“We are aware of what we are trying to build and suddenly, in 10 or 15 minutes, it creates so much doubt and that affects the confidence of the players. It’s natural.

“Now, it’s up to us to reset and realise that what really matters is tomorrow. In football, what matters is what you do on the day. We have to get confidence from ourselves. Trust who is next to you.”

Mentality shift needed

Rebuilding the confidence of his players is one of the biggest challenges facing Nuno as he prepares to face another former club in Forest. They cannot afford another start like the one at Molineux.

But he picks out defending leads as the side’s biggest issue.

West Ham have dropped 12 points from winning positions this season. It has happened twice against Brighton under Nuno, with other examples coming against Aston Villa and Bournemouth.

“When you are in front in a game, when you score and you have 10 or 15 minutes to go, with the special situation that we are in, the instinct is to protect,” explains Nuno.

“You protect yourself because you are holding on to something.

“To make that change, you have to realise that maybe it should be the other way around. We have something, let’s protect it by attacking, let’s protect it by being more aggressive.”

Nuno nods when asked if he is referring to a mentality shift.

“We need, we need, we need, we need,” he repeats.

Nuno, of course, has a role to play in it himself. Some of his substitutions have been questioned by fans. Does he appreciate the importance of his in-game changes in maintaining momentum?

“Yes, and that’s why I think this transfer window will be very helpful for us in terms of rebalancing the squad, of having options that can change our mindset,” he says. “Instead of doing it like this, if we have different options, maybe we’ll go like this.”

Why January signings are key

It helps, then, that the club have shown their willingness to back their head coach in the January transfer window.

West Ham have already completed the signings of two forwards in Pablo Felipe from Gil Vicente and Taty Castellanos from Lazio and are in discussions over a potential deal for another Nuno-approved target in Fulham winger Adama Traore.

“Grateful,” says Nuno of the early transfer business.

“Grateful because it was a need. I think we have done well in a transfer window that is very tricky to operate. Pablo was at the Wolves game, now we have Taty and we hope we can have more.

“We hope that we can have more because it’s the right moment to try and impact the squad and give to the squad the help that it deserves and needs. We need options.”

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Nuno is excited by what their first two attacking recruits can bring. Pablo, he says, is a “talented player, dynamic, hard worker, nice boy”, while Castellanos, five years older at 27, is described as a “slightly more experienced” and a “mobile” addition.

“We are really positive,” adds Nuno. “I think the club is working really, really hard on that aspect. But we have to realise that it was really important that we do so. There’s a lot of football to be played and we need to be stronger, so we can fight with more weapons.”

Bravery required against Forest

They will certainly need to be ready for a fight against Nottingham Forest. Like Nuno, Sean Dyche is in need of a positive result. His side’s defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday was their fourth in a row.

It is a crucial fixture for both sides in the battle against relegation.

“We have to put up a fight,” says Nuno when asked what he wants to see from his side on the back of the Wolves game. “We have to react to mistakes. We have to be much braver, much stronger.

“It has to do with mentality, tactical effort, energy, so many things. We have to put it together, because we know that in front of us is going to be a tough opponent.

“It’s going to be very tough. We have to be aware of the danger that Forest possess. At the same time, they are also aware that they’re going to face a very determined West Ham.”

Nuno is too focused on West Ham for any sentimentality about facing his former side. “It’s not disrespect, it’s not about that, the love and the respect and the good times and all these things. Tomorrow, everything is put aside and it’s all about West Ham.”

The job he has taken on has become all-consuming.

“I don’t think about anything else,” he adds. “There are so many things happening in the world and sometimes I get surprised. ‘Oh, this happened?’ It’s really strange.”

The former Forest boss can expect a warm reception from the travelling fans at the London Stadium on Tuesday. But what is his message to those of West Ham as they approach a game of such significance, knowing an upturn in results is urgently required?

“I think the fans are aware,” he says. “They know the team, they know the players, the squad, they know football very, very well.

“We need them. But it’s up to us. It’s up to us to start giving.”

Watch West Ham vs Nottingham Forest live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 7pm on Tuesday; kick-off 8pm