On paper at least, a Nuno Espirito Santo-led West Ham United team would look pretty similar to the one deployed by Graham Potter during that 3-0 Premier League triumph over the Iberian’s Nottingham Forest side last month.
Potter switched out his ill-advised 3-4-2-1 set-up for a more traditional 4-2-3-1 at the City Ground, with fairly spectacular results.
As Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Callum Wilson all struck in a 10 minute blitz, Nuno Espirito Santo’s fabulous Nottingham Forest reign would end with a shock – and rare – home drubbing.
Graham Potter matched up to Nuno’s 4-2-3-1 system on that late-August afternoon. But while the formation may have been the same, the instructions both managers tend to give to their players are very different indeed.
And as reports suggest that Nuno wants an immediate return to the Premier League – rumours linking him with Potter’s job at West Ham United just won’t go away – now feels like an appropriate time to mull over the changes he could bring to the London Stadium.
Nuno Espirito Santo during Nottingham Forest v Al Qadsiah - Pre-Season Friendly
Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images
What a Nuno Espirito Santo West Ham United XI could look like
Under Potter, West Ham have tended to press high, but haphazardly. That 5-1 drubbing by Chelsea showcased both the risks and the potential rewards of such an approach.
Captain Jarrod Bowen praised Nayef Aguerd after he robbed Estevao in Chelsea’s own half second before Lucas Paqueta rattled a stunning finish past Robert Sanchez. Both Aguerd and Max Kilman got their timing all wrong later in the half, however, Enzo Maresca’s team dragging both centre-halves out of position as they turned a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead in the blinking of an eye.
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In stark contrast, Nuno Espirito Santo’s Nottingham Forest success was built upon a resilient low-block, discipline out of possession, and rampaging counter-attacks.
Per Sky Sports, Forest finished bottom of the pile last season for ‘high turnovers’. West Ham, by the way, were ninth. Nuno’s Forest also allowed the most ‘opposition passes per defensive action’. This means they tended to wait for their opponents and win the ball back deep – rather than pressing high and risk getting caught out of possession – before embarking on those trademark counter-attacks.
Only Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal and Wolves scored more than their seven counter-attacking goals in 2024/25.
Nottingham Forest used a deep backline and a physical striker in Chris Wood
Going forward, Nuno tended to rely on the raw pace of Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi, instructing his wingers to carry the ball long distances through the thirds. Morgan Gibbs-White was a revelation as an old-school number ten, supported by two energetic, aggressive yet technically-gifted central midfielders. Elliott Anderson, Nico Dominguez, Ryan Yates or Ibrahim Sangare were often instructed to snap into tackles before springing quick counters.
And Chris Wood broke the 20-goal barrier in the Premier League for the first time. Nuno used his imposing frame and back-to-goal strengths effectively, while creating a reliable supply of chances through his wingers and the crossing ability of full-backs Ola Aina and Neco Williams.
His Forest backline was only breached 46 times, meanwhile, compared to West Ham’s 62 across the 2024/25 season. Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic were outstanding, albeit protected extremely well by a system which allowed very little space for opposition runners. Tasked with defending deep and winning headers, Murillo topped the Premier League charts for clearances with 6.7 per game.
Interestingly, the tactics Nuno used to great effect at Forest appear to suit many at West Ham a lot better than Potter’s error-prone approach. While Konstantinos Mavropanos and Max Kilman conceded three more goals at home to Tottenham on Saturday, both defended very well in the opening 45 minutes, dominating an ill-fitting Mathys Tel and winning countless headers inside their own penalty areas.
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It was under Nuno when Kilman made his name at Wolves, albeit in a three-man backline his former boss appears to have moved away from in recent times. A lack of pace at centre-half has caused West Ham problems, and it is something Nuno also had at Forest. Should he replace Potter, then, expect Nuno to push the Hammers defence a lot deeper. The height and aerial prowess of Mavropanos, meanwhile, presumably means he will keep his place ahead of the smaller, more technical Jean-Clair Todibo.
Malick Diouf and Kyle Walker-Peters feel nicely-suited to the roles bestowed upon Aina and Williams, particularly the former. Jarrod Bowen raved about Diouf’s crossing, calling his delivery some of the best he has ever come across.
The Senegal international would surely kick on under a coach who asks his full-backs to hold the width and deliver balls into the box whenever they can.
Niclas Fullkrug in the Wood role while Crysencio Summerville could be Nuno’s next Anthony Elanga
Further forward, Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa possess the off-the-ball tenacity and the in-possession talents Nuno looks for. It is not difficult to imagine Fernandes emulating the excellent Elliott Anderson and carrying the ball forward from deep. Paqueta would likely perform the Gibbs-White role under Nuno, while Bowen and Crysencio Summerville have the speed and directness required to do what Elanga and Hudson-Odoi did to such success.
Nuno highlighted Summerville’s searing pace following his scintillating cameo at the City Ground three weeks ago.
How a West Ham United XI could look under Nuno Espirito Santo
How a West Ham United XI could look under Nuno Espirito Santo
Up top, meanwhile, Niclas Fullkrug’s Premier League struggles could potentially come to an end if Nuno deploys him in a manner reminiscent of the prolific Chris Wood at Nottingham Forest. While Niclas Fullkrug loves to drop deep and link the play, Wood tends to stay between the widths of the penalty area and wait for chances to come.
Wood has averaged 15 touches per game in the Premier League this season, compared to Fullkrug’s 23.
If the big German still cannot adapt to English football, meanwhile, one suspects an ageing, now 33-year-old Callum Wilson could thrive as a poacher with a steady stream of ammunition supplied by Bowen, Summerville, Paqueta and Diouf.