West Ham’s Monday night fixture against [Brentford](https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-ham-vs-brentford-preview-team-news-predicted-line-ups/) might not yet be ‘must win’ with the Premier League season still in its infancy. But for new boss Nuno Espírito Santo it is likely indeed to be ‘season defining’ as clubs with two awful records go toe to toe. Brentford haven’t won away this season and West Ham’s home record is worse, just two wins in nine months.
According to Sky sports, the resulting game might not be pretty: Seeking to pull away from the early stages of a relegation scrap, few West Ham fans will care about the style.
If the points are captured, the relief that will flood through those fans who do turn up on Monday night will be palpable. It’s been a long time since home supporters have been able to trudge towards the exits and the long walk in the dark with a smile on their face.
As Sky put it in their ‘[relegation](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11661/13446400/premier-league-relegation-leeds-wolves-west-ham-and-more-facing-crucial-games-in-battle-for-top-flight-survival) special’ article (gulp):
_“When you are knee deep in a relegation scrap, you do not need talk of “build-up principles” and “underlying numbers” – you need street-fighting survival football.”_
West Ham’s XI need a street-fighter mentality
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Which is exactly what the club will get with their Portuguese head coach:
_“Nuno Espirito Santo… brings exactly that. Call it what you want – reactive, pragmatic and at times boring – but it is effective when backs are against the wall. West Ham just need points.”_
The question in most Hammers’ fans minds is not whether the coach has the appetite for the fight but whether he’s managed instil enough of the ‘street fighter’ mentality to avoid more cave-ins and capitulations. The same squad already suffered home defeats in three London derbies: A fourth would be more than a bump in the road and any hope of a ‘new manager bounce’ would be well and truly shattered.
Season defining indeed. Most pundits sense a dull as dishwater scoreless draw or, in Paul Merson’s case, a surprising 2 – 1 Hammers win. We’d all settle for that.