West Ham cannot ‘obsess about the gap’ to safety – Nuno Espirito Santo | OneFootball

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo insists he believes Premier League survival is still possible and has urged his side not to “obsess about the gap” to safety.

The Hammers go into Sunday’s FA Cup tie against QPR at the London Stadium under pressure following a disappointing midweek league defeat by Nottingham Forest, with questions continuing to be asked about their dire form and the potential of relegation.

“There are 17 games to go – a lot of football to be played,” Nuno said.

“I believe it is possible.”

“We can speak about the reasons for our loss [to Nottingham Forest] but they’re things that we can’t control,” he said.

“Unfortunately, it’s not because of referees that we are in this situation. Things are going against us in many moments.”

Nuno also provided an update on his squad ahead of the FA Cup tie with QPR.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka is back from AFCON duty and was able to complete “a light session on Friday” while the rest were described as “knocks, normal situations”, by Santos.

Nuno also outlined plans for the January transfer window.

“The main objective, beside the quality and talent of the players, is for them to be motivated and committed to join us,” he said.

“It’s not thinking about the future, it’s not thinking about anything else – it’s just who can join us and help us.”

Asked about the transfer situations of Callum Wilson, James Ward-Prowse and Mads Hermansen, Nuno added: “We have honest conversations with all the players when it’s the right moment.”

“The FA Cup is a good chance to win a football match, which we need,” Nuno said.

“Everything is different when you win. You recover faster, you’re more happy.”