His Reaction Was Really Good – Nuno Defends Under-fire West Ham Star | OneFootball

Steve Bardens/Getty Images

West Ham United boss Nuno Espirito Santo has praised Max Kilman for the way he responded to a difficult moment during his FA Cup loss against Leeds United.

Kilman, who had not been part of the starting lineup since February, was included against the Whites in the FA Cup quarter-final due to a shortage of centre-back options, partnering Axel Disasi.

During the match, the Hammers were trailing within 26 minutes, and in the 75th minute Kilman was involved in a rash foul inside the penalty box, which resulted in Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring from the spot, putting the defender under immediate scrutiny.

Although West Ham mounted a late comeback with two goals in injury time, they eventually lost 4-2 on penalties after 120 minutes, ending their hopes of a trip to Wembley.

Following the game, criticism emerged around Kilman’s performance, with journalist Justin Allen delivering a harsh assessment, describing him as one of the worst defenders Hammers have had and questioning the fee paid to sign him.

Nuno, however, is keen to underline the positives in Kilman’s display, suggesting the defender showed quality in possession and handled his defensive duties well despite the setback.

He also noted the reaction from both the player and the group, highlighting the importance of mentality and togetherness within the West Ham squad.

Nuno said via West Ham’s official website: “I saw a good game from Max overall against Leeds.

“He was involved in the penalty incident, but for a player who’s not been involved a lot I thought he did well in possession and in his duels.

“He did a lot of good things, and I think he handled the situation well.

“At the same time, the group helped. I saw his teammates supporting him, and that showed the level of togetherness there is here.

“Everyone in this industry goes through ups and downs, and it’s about how you react to them.

“I think the reaction of Max was really good.”

The Hammers’ next game is against Wolves, who remain bottom of the Premier League table and Kilman last started a league match for his club when they faced the same opposition at Molineux in January, suffering a 3-0 defeat.

The 28-year-old is unlikely to start this time, with Konstantinos Mavropanos and Jean-Clair Todibo back in training and available for selection.

Nuno’s side, who have won just one of their last five Premier League matches, need to step up as they sit in the relegation zone after 31 games with 29 points.

Last month, former West Ham star Don Hutchison was confident that the east London club would come out of the relegation zone and survive.

The Wolves clash though will surely be seen as a must win for Nuno, as West Ham are running out of games to save themselves.