Nuno Espirito Santo has finally started to turn the tide at West Ham United following a 3-2 win over Burnley but this only further highlighted the club's questionable decision to sign Mads Hermansen in the summer.
West Ham made it two wins on the bounce with a vital victory that puts them on 10 points from 11 games and indicates they are back on track after a nightmare start to the season. With four defeats in their opening five Premier League games, it seemed as though this could be the year the Hammers were sent packing from the top-flight.
But the mood lifted at the London Stadium after a 3-1 win over Newcastle United last weekend and momentum is being built following another home victory today. While there are plenty of positives to take from both of those games, they raise one or two question marks regarding the club's recruitment.
West Ham Slipped Up With Hermansen Signing
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A new goalkeeper arrived at West Ham in the summer when the club swooped for Hermansen, securing his signature in a £20 million deal from Leicester City. The Dane had impressed with the Foxes in the Premier League last season and convinced the higher-ups to take advantage of his former club's relegation.
Graham Potter quickly made Hermansen his new number one, dropping Alphonse Areola to the bench. But the 25-year-old faltered, putting in nervy performances and shipping 11 goals in his side's opening four games of the season. He was axed by Potter in the Englishman's last game in charge before Espirito Santo arrived.
The Portuguese tactician opted to continue with Areola between the sticks and started his reign with a much-needed 1-1 draw against Everton. While the East London outfit's form hadn't improved until last weekend, there was a clear improvement in preventing goals, with the veteran French shot-stopper selected.
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Hermansen hasn't played since a 3-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in mid-September, which speaks volumes of his nosedive at the very start of his spell with the Hammers. It also makes the decision to sign the Dane look foolish, especially as Lukas Fabianski returned to the club two months ago.
Espirito Santo will know that there is still work to do despite the upturn in form with a new potent number nine and obvious target in January. Niclas Fullkrug has decided to leave in January amid a disastrous and injury-plagued spell in the English capital after arriving from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2024 for £27 million.
A new centre-back could also be on the agenda to help further improve the defensive side of Espirito Santo's team that has conceded the most goals of any Premier League side (23). The money spent on Hermansen could well have been spent on a new defender or striker instead of a goalkeeper who has already dropped down the pecking order.