West Ham’s relatively newfound fighting spirit is because of the arrival of Paco Jemez as a coach, says Mateus Fernandes.
Jemez was appointed a coach at West Ham United in January and has helped oversee a rapid-fire improvement since then.
What would you say if Paco Jemez took Nuno’s job?
He's certainly made a big impact…
Paco Jemez the manager of Rayo Vallecano reacts during the La Liga match between RC Celta de Vigo and Rayo Vallecano de Madrid at Abanca Balaidos Stadium on May 18, 2019 in Vigo, Spain.
Indeed, Jemez’s coaching has improved West Ham’s defence, with the Hammers only conceding six times in the six Premier League games that have been played since his arrival.
However, Fernandes believes the spirit the Spaniard has brought has helped matters too.
Mateus Fernandes says Paco Jemez has brought fighting spirit to West Ham
Fernandes has been another of the stars of West Ham’s recent revival. Without him, perhaps none of this would have been possible.
Speaking to The Athletic, he said: “I think Paco Jemez has brought a lot of the fighting spirit.
“We are defending much better and trying to fight for the team. We are doing well but we need to score our chances. It’s good we’re creating opportunities but now we need to work on this part.”
MORE WEST HAM STORIES
While the Irons still have work to do if they are to remain in the Premier League, they are clearly putting up much more of a fight than they had done previously. After the defeats to Wolves and Nottingham Forest in January, they looked gone.
Jemez’s impact on the coaching pitch at West Ham has been hailed and while it is difficult to measure an abstract notion like fighting spirit, Fernandes believes the ex-Rayo Vallecano boss has brought it in abundance.
Things are looking up 😍 So who are we sending down to the Championship?!
Forest? Leeds?……Spurs? 🙏
A graphic asking West Ham fans which team in the Premier League they are going to catch.
Credit: Getty Images/Rob Newell – CameraSport
Paco Jemez has helped people change their mind about West Ham United
Football pundits are starting to change their mind about West Ham’s chances of avoiding relegation, having previously written them off.
Over the last few weeks, the likes of Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, Sam Allardyce and Jamie O’Hara have spoken positively about their chances.
Paco Jemez speaks to Nuno Espirito Santo during West Ham's game with Chelsea.
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Manager Nuno Espirito Santo deserves credit of course but it cannot be a huge coincidence that West Ham have started to improve following Jemez’s arrival.
Surely none of this would have been possible without the fighting spirit he has clearly brought into the ranks.
There is not a unit of measurement that one can apply to fighting spirit but, without it, West Ham would have been condemned to relegation a long time ago.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox