Nuno Espirito Santo explains decision to stay at West Ham and expectations after relegation

Nuno Espirito Santo explains the decision to stay at West Ham and speaks of his expectations after relegation from the Premier League.

Nuno spoke with Chris Scull at the Rush Green Training Ground, speaking on a range of topics, squad preparation, commitment to navigating challenges they face for the season ahead.

He also made clear the importance of West Ham fans to help them through this new cycle, in the second tier for the first time since the 2011/12 season

Interviewer: And we are fresh off the back of that announcement last week, Nuno, that you were staying on as a West Ham manager following productive conversations with the board. And I’d probably like to start there actually. It seemed from that statement that you wanted to stay and the board wanted you to stay as well. Can you give us any insight into how that conversation went?

Nuno: Of course, there was a lot of noise, a lot of questions, but it was important the timing, the understanding, the time of decision. After relegation for all of us, it was tough, it was sad, and it was a moment to feel and to understand, but there was no ever doubts on myself and the board that this is something that we want to continue, and I’m really pleased. I’m thankful for the confidence and now it’s time to work.

Interviewer: Time to work. One of the reasons I’m so pleased is that the second half of the season, I think it was mentioned in the statement, the last 17 games we would have been sixth in the form table. There was such an upturn in the results and the performances and me, like every West Ham fan, will be hoping we can take that form into next season now. I just wondered, when did it change for you? I was thinking perhaps around the Nottingham Forest game at home, although we lost that one and the QPR game in the FA Cup, was certainly, it seemed a moment where performances just turned around a little bit. Did you feel that around that time?

Nuno: I believe that was a big improvement. It was a big improvement in terms of how we did things, how we compete. It was important for us to try and rebalance the squad that we had. I think we achieved that. And natural things starting to improve in terms of results, in terms of performance. But the big difference that I felt was the London Stadium. The energy that we got from the London Stadium was something that we really embraced and we felt that something has changed. And it was up to us to try and give back to the fans. But yes, the cup game was important. The way we did it in the last minutes gave us a boost of confidence and since I think the boys start playing well, unfortunately we came short and we have to realise that. But the way the team competed was something that we can be positive moving forward.

Interviewer: It’s an interesting point about the fans because that last home game against Leeds, the atmosphere before the game was fantastic, actually. And it’s easy to forget that. The fans were really behind the team. And in some respects, it’s the saddest 3-0 win I’ve ever seen. But do you feel like we’ve actually got the foundations there, the relationship between the team and the fans and the way we were playing towards the end of the season? Do you feel like we can take that into next season?

Nuno: Yes, yes, yes. Definitely, definitely. The energy, the relationship that we’ve been able to rebuild if you want, the way the fans, like you say, in the final game, we were in the buzz and we felt the energy. was belief, unfortunately it didn’t happen, but there was the belief there was a feeling of common purpose to try and achieve something really special. And we cannot thank them enough and it is amazing to feel it.

Interviewer: I feel like you’ve been at the club eight months now, you know the training ground, you know the players, you know the staff as well. Do you feel that that knowledge is going to allow you, do you know what you need to change as we go into next season? Do feel like you’ve got all the information you need to make this a better football club at this point?

Nuno: Yeah, definitely. I think the best thing that we have in our club is the people that work here. This is the best that we have and we have to redo it together and try to go back to the Premier League. There’s a lot of work to be done, but the platform is good. It feels that it’s the beginning of a new cycle.

Interviewer: I wanted to ask as well, we’re a couple of weeks into, or just right at the start of June as we record this, the training pretty years out there have been completely stripped up. This is a time when managers take a bit of time off, but I know you’ve been here hard at work planning for next season ever since the previous season ended. I hope you’re going to take a break.

Nuno: Yeah, we’ll come. But I think it’s our job now to make sure that day one, everybody and everything is ready for the players to come and start working. Now is the moment for us to work, to create routines, to create the way we want things to develop and all the facilities, what we need, what we have to adapt. There’s not many changes, but we need some kind of adaptation to a new season ahead of us in a different competition with different challenges. So now is the moment for the staff, be here, work, make sure that everything is ready for the player when he steps in on the rush screen. He knows that. Ready to go.

Interviewer: There seems as well a bit of… This has been a tremendously painful process already, like relegation, but do you get the sense from the players that you’ve spoken to that they’re ready to turn that hurt into a determination to make things better. Do you get that sense from the players and the staff around the club?

Nuno: From everywhere. From everywhere I go, from where everyone I speak to, there’s this commitment. And I think it’s the weight of responsibility that we carry. Didn’t end up well, we felt bad, but that’s the responsibility to go back, to give something back from ourselves. And we know like you said, many of our players already are getting ready for the new challenge and this is really positive for us. So looking forward to it.

Interviewer: It’s going to be an interesting summer in the transfer market and you mentioned in January we look to rebalance the squad and I imagine there’s going to be a bit more rebalancing this summer. This is a difficult question to answer, but what are your expectations as we head into the summer? Have you got a vision of where you want to get to in terms of the team starting in August?

Nuno: The painful process that we’ve been through through all the season and now in our holidays, we have to respect the time. I think we have to understand that there’s a moment for grief and then get the energy back. The commitment and the responsibility that we must have here at the club to put West Ham back in the Premier League where it belongs. So everyone feels that and there’s no more important thing than that purpose that we have to come together for one, only one mission in our hands. It’s going back to the Premier League. Just build on commitment, ambition, discipline, be resilient because it’s going to be hard. Yeah, but this is what we want.

Interviewer: It’s a different mentality as well, isn’t it? We’ve just come from a season where we’ve been battling relegation. We’re heading into a new season where we’re expected to win every week almost. I think that’s the expectation fans and certainly a lot of people around the club as well. Does that require a different mentality now? We’re going into a league season where we want to be at the very top of the league and also every game we face there’s going to be a lot of attention on it. We’re going to be what is a big fish in a smaller pond than the previous season. Does that require a different mentality?

Nuno: I would say that we have to keep the same approach that we have on a daily basis, day by day. And I’ll say again, game by game, this is the best way, knowing what we have to achieve. But in terms of dynamic, how we work, has to be day by day. Always be ready to do better, be ready to give an extra run. Every single detail, day by day. But like you said, we cannot hide that we’re to be favourites. Every team that comes to the London Stadium will know that it’s going face a team that was in the Premier League, that is one of the big favourites to go back. But that doesn’t change. We have to do it ourselves.

Interviewer: And so we’re June right now, we’re looking ahead to pre-season and ahead to start starting the league season in August. How much work has gone into that pre-season already? Have you got a good idea of what you want to be able to achieve in pre-season?

Nuno: Yeah, we have to prepare the team that we want to be. It’s not about the names or who, it’s about how we want to do things, which team we want to be in this new competition. This is what we have to make sure to prepare. And then I think the platform is good, it’s solid. Now is moment to build on that platform. I believe that we have a very good platform of ethic, of quality, of talent that we need to develop.

Interviewer: And also, you know the Championship. You were promoted with Wolves in, I think was 2018, you achieved an incredible 99 points that particular season. do you still feel you know what it takes to get out of the division despite the changes over the last eight years? Have you got a good insight in how we get out of this division?

Nuno: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it was important to have this experience that we had before. Of course, the competition has changed. But there are things that we cannot. It’s a very hard competition, very demanding. have 46 games, probably even more. The cycles of the weeks are different. Sometimes you play three times a week. The travelling is going to be different. The opponents are different. So all these things we have to adapt. Know this is what we are receiving now as a coaching staff. We’re getting intoxicated by information that is necessary for them to transmit to the players the ideas that we want, there are things that don’t change, commitment, be resilient, discipline, brave, we need character, we need a lot of character. That doesn’t change, and it didn’t change in the past, it will be for the future. This is the fundamental pillars that I believe that every team should have. The commitment, the respect, the ambition, the character, discipline, the belief, the togetherness, unity. All these things that we’ve been having here at the club, we must do it better.

Interviewer: Speaking of the platform, I was just hearing that season ticket renewals are, think, are up to 60%. The fans of West Ham United are showing tremendous loyalty to this club and in giving their support for next season. We know so many season ticket holders are going to be back. How much is that a motivating factor in the desire to get out of the Championship next season and pay back the fans?

Nuno: Exactly that. We owe the fans. We owe them badly. We owe them a lot. We owe them a lot. So it’s up to us to give back. And we need the London Stadium. We need them there. We need to make sure that our opponents, when they step in the London Stadium, they feel, what do I have to do to take something out of here? This feeling has to be among us.

Interviewer: I remember you said in your programme notes for the Leeds game, you said that you don’t feel like West Ham, you couldn’t ask any more of the West Ham fans, their support had been so brilliant through last season, especially in the harder moments as well.

Nuno: Yeah, At London Stadium, away from home, was tough for everybody, but they were always there, always there. It’s amazing.

Interviewer: So Nuno, we’re heading into a Championship season. We do so as one of the big favourites. How excited are you to just get on with the job now, to get on with the hard work and get going?

Nuno: It’s one day less. One day less to go. We’re looking forward to it. The moment that the player steps in, he’s going to feel that he has to get ready. He’s got to get ready. We have only one mission. Me, you and everybody here. Let’s get back to the Premier League. We must.

Interviewer: I feel that. I feel that today coming down here, like the hard work is already underway to get us back to where we belong. Nuno, I wish you every success. Your success is our success. We’re all behind you now. Best of luck for the new season. Thank you so much.