Just four days after his side’s lamentable loss at home to Brentford (0-2), Nuno Espírito Santos endured another dour defeat at Elland Road against Leeds United, on Friday evening.
“We started very badly especially with the way we defended,” admitted the disheartened Hammers head coach, after Brenden Aaronson and Joe Rodon put Leeds United on their way to a 2-1 victory with a goal apiece inside the opening quarter-hour, before Mateus Fernandes netted a 90th-minute consolation.
“Although we improved in the second half, it just wasn’t enough. The players are frustrated, disappointed and sad.”
West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santos looked a worried man following defeat at Leeds United _(Image: Steve Blowers)_
Surprisingly, Nuno made only two changes after being stung by the Bees in his first match at London Stadium as Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Hadji El Malick Diouf replaced substitutes Fernandes and Kyle Walker-Peters.
Once again, the Portuguese’s team-sheet raised East End eyebrows as did another puzzling starting formation that saw left-back Ollie Scarles pushed out to the right, with Diouf playing in front of Wan-Bissaka on the opposite flank.
“We had to make changes but it’s not experimenting, it’s trying to find a solution,” insisted Nuno, who clearly must go back to the drawing board after seeing his game-plan unravel after only 15 forlorn minutes.
And yet again, indecisive, ineffective and undisciplined defending cost his team dearly.
Within four minutes, Noah Okafor had outjumped Scarles and, with Alphonse Areola only parrying the downward header, Aaronson outmuscled Jean-Clair Todibo to stab Daniel Farke’s team ahead.
In reply, Jarrod Bowen’s acrobatic volley was beaten out by Lucas Perri before the visitors fell further behind on the quarter-hour mark.
For no less than the ninth time this season, West Ham conceded from a corner, when Rodon escaped Lucas Paquetá to get between Todibo and Diouf and head Sean Longstaff’s in-swinging cross into the net.
“There are so many things that concern me - our approach to individual duels, the way we handle defensive tasks and our confidence,” continued Nuno, whose forlorn Friday got even worse, when Scarles departed with a shoulder injury before Paquetá – straying a stud or two offside – had a goal ruled out upon review. “I’ve been worried ever since I arrived.”
With Callum Wilson now leading the line and fresh-legged Freddie Potts belatedly bringing much-needed energy into midfield, fellow substitute Fernandes glanced Bowen’s right-wing cross beyond Perri as stoppage-time approached.
But the Portuguese U21 international’s first-ever goal in Claret & Blue came far too late to prevent West Ham from slumping to a seventh defeat of the season that leaves them in 19th-place with just four points and almost a quarter of the season gone.
“It’s going to be a long, hard week,” concluded Nuno, who must now prepare for Sunday afternoon’s visit of Newcastle United (kick-off 2pm). “We’re committed to the challenge ahead, which is a big one but there’s enough in this squad to turn things around and there’s time, too.”