West Ham set to appoint coach Rui Barbosa as long-time Nuno Espirito Santo ally joins | OneFootball

The goalkeeper coach was on the bench during West Ham’s 2-0 defeat to Brentford

West Ham are set to confirm the arrival of goalkeeper coach Rui Barbosa.

Barbosa, who has worked with Nuno throughout his managerial career, was on the bench during West Ham’s 2-0 defeat to Brentford.

West Ham brought in Casper Ankergren as Lead Goalkeeper Coach in the summer, but the Dane departed the club after Graham Potter was sacked.

Nuno Espirito Santo announced academy coaches Mark Robson, Steve Potts, Gerard Prenderville, and Billy Lepine as permanent members of his backroom team over the international break, and he has now added Barbosa, whom he has worked with at Nottingham Forest, Al-Ittihad, Tottenham, Wolves, Porto, and Rio Ave.

The pair enjoy a 13-year working relationship, and Nuno said he was glad to have Barbosa in his backroom team.

Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola has started all three of Nuno’s games in charge of West Ham, and is clearly in favour over summer signing Mads Hermansen, who joined the club at the same time as the now departed Ankergren, with whom he worked at Danish side Brondby.

Uncertainty in the goalkeeper position, with Hermansen starting the season as first-choice before being dropped by Potter, has been a symptom of West Ham’s start to the season.

The Hammers, who have conceded the most goals in the Premier League this season, produced another calamitous defensive display against Brentford.

It is hoped Barbosa can instil some confidence in a backline woefully out of form by promoting stability between the sticks, with both Areola and Hermansen flattering to deceive this season.