West Ham Painting Nuno Spell As Success ‘Not Credible’ – Journalist | OneFootball

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Journalist Jacob Steinberg has criticised West Ham United‘s attempt to paint Nuno Espirito Santo’s spell as a success, dubbing it ‘not credible’.

West Ham will be playing Championship football, following their relegation from the Premier League on the final day, despite a 3-0 win over Leeds United.

The Hammers turned to Nuno in September last year after showing Graham Potter the door, meaning the Portuguese had the vast majority of the season to keep them up.

On Wednesday, West Ham put out a statement insisting Nuno will stay in charge for next season.

In the statement, West Ham stressed that the club took 25 points from their final 17 Premier League games this season, with a points per game ratio which would have meant a finish of seventh taken over the whole campaign.

For Steinberg, West Ham implying that Nuno did a superb job is not credible and he stressed that the Portuguese struggled initially, many of his signings flopped and performances declined at key times.

Steinberg wrote on X: “It’s all well and good West Ham saying they would have finished 7th based on the last 17 games, but they didn’t, they finished 18th.

“Nuno had 33 games and messed up the first half. One of his signings didn’t score, one didn’t start a game.

“There was an improvement but the only convincing wins were Sunderland and Wolves.

“Performances mostly fizzled out post international break. They got away with it v Everton but blew most of the crunch games.

“Nuno’s call to play back three and start Wilson up front on his own v a poor Newcastle. Won last game but Leeds on beach and first half dreadful from West Ham.

“Portraying this all as an incredible job isn’t credible.”

West Ham also suggested that Nuno has the pedigree to lead them back to the Premier League based on having won the Championship while Wolves boss.

For Steinberg though, the circumstances are now completely different as West Ham are having to make almost all their players available to be sold.

He added: “Saying that Nuno probably is well placed to get them out of the Championship, having done it with Wolves.

“Difference being he had an incredibly strong side back then. West Ham set for a total reset and have huge financial issues. Plus supporter resentment in that stadium.

“They want to keep Hermansen, Mavropanos, Soucek, Bowen and Castellanos (obv no chance hanging on to Fernandes and Summerville).

“Everyone else available. That doesn’t mean they’ll be able to keep Soucek and Bowen. They’ve got to shift Fullkrug, Alvarez etc.”

What squad Nuno will have to work with when the transfer window closes in September remains to be seen, but West Ham believe the Portuguese is the man to make their stay in the Championship a short one.