West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo appears to have changed his messaging to a more aggressive and passionate tone ahead of [Friday night’s clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers](https://www.claretandhugh.info/fully-fit-for-relegation-decider-west-ham-v-wolves-preview-prediction-predicted-line-ups/).
The Hammers host Wolves at the London Stadium in a game the club simply cannot afford to lose, given our position in the Premier League relegation zone. Nuno has approached previous press conferences by downplaying fixtures as just another game, but this time he has labelled the encounter as huge.
“I truly believe the fans understand the situation that we’re all in, and the need we have for their support. I think they have given us more than we’ve given them, so we have to thank them for everything they do.
I think Sunday was a clear example that as a group we don’t give up, right until the end, so I hope the fans trust us and support us on Friday, because it’s going to be huge for us,” said Nuno — and he’s not wrong.
Pressure building at the London Stadium
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Clearly, I can’t speak for everybody, but I find myself far more nervous about this game than I did ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final against [Leeds United](https://www.claretandhugh.info/leeds-united-bio/), which sounds strange.
The implications of West Ham dropping out of the Premier League are massive, with mounting debts and no obvious way of covering them other than selling players of value. That adds another layer to what has already induced a high degree of bum squeaking.
Friday under the lights at the London Stadium feels significant. And while Nuno has called for passion and commitment from the fans, he will likely get it — as long as the team start well and on the front foot.
Failure to do that could make for a very nervous atmosphere indeed