By Conor Hogan
**A poor start in East London from Nuno Espirito Santo has already led to the question, is the former Wolves, Spurs and Nottingham Forest the right man for West Ham?**
After three Premier League games, with two losses and a draw, Nuno is yet to win as West Ham boss. The latest of the three was the worst as the Hammers were humiliated by Brentford at London Stadium on Monday night, falling to a pitiful 2-0 defeat thanks to goals from Igor Thiago and Mathias Jensen.
After relatively positive displays against Everton & Arsenal, Nuno’s first home game on Monday night was amongst the very worst performances the Hammers have put out in recent years (and that is against some stiff competition). It has led some West Ham fans to already question the appointment of the 51-year-old, who made some bizarre decisions against the Bees.
After the disastrous reigns of Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter, it feels difficult for fans to place faith in any manager that comes in now, and Monday night certainly didn’t help Nuno’s case. However, instead of regurgitating platitudes and re-emphasising how “the players gave it their all”, as Potter would, Nuno’s summation of proceedings against Brentford was more severe.
“I honestly believe our fans are concerned” was the sentiment of the Portuguese native, who believed that the anxiety and silence in the stands transferred to the players on the pitch. Though it doesn’t excuse such an abhorrent performance, Monday’s boycott and the publicised unrest between the Board and fans must have been on the players’ minds.
Ultimately, Nuno has only had three games – he has made mistakes, but is still learning. As bleak as things seem at the club right now, there are still 30 league games to go this season. The Hammers have previously been in more dire situations with less capable managers, and have still managed to evade relegation. West Ham have hit a new low in recent times, but I still have faith in Nuno to turn things around. At the very least, I believe he can transform us into the fourth worst team in the league by the end of the season.