Nuno Espirito Santo went into bat for Valentin Castellanos after West Ham United’s defeat to Brentford and did so again during his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s clash with Arsenal.
The Argentine, who has scored five goals in 19 games for West Ham since joining from Lazio in January, has often proven frustrating alongside fellow new arrival Pablo Felipe.
While Castellanos has given West Ham fresh energy, there are doubts over his genuine quality at Premier League level.
What changes would you make to this team and why? 👀
Still, Nuno remains convinced that Castellanos will score goals in the Premier League. He said so in the immediate wake of the Brentford defeat, and did so again on Friday.
Nuno said: “Taty hit the post two times at Brentford. He needs confidence. Things will change and we are positive Sunday is the day.”
Now, it’s up to Castellanos to prove he’s worth the backing.
Nuno has talked the talk, Taty must walk the walk
The time for talking is over, at the worst possible time for Taty.
Sunday’s opponents Arsenal are the best defensive unit in the Premier League. They have conceded only 26 goals all season and boast one of the meanest backlines in Europe.
To boo or not to boo, that is the question… 😂
It is difficult to think of a more daunting challenge for a striker right now.
There would usually be no great shame in not performing against them. That, however, is just not a luxury the likes of Castellanos have at this stage of the season.
There are only three games and every shot, let alone goal, matters.
Taty hit the post twice against Brentford. That would be seen as bad luck had he not missed chances on a semi-regular basis since joining the club.
West Ham can no longer accept fine margins going against them. Nuno believes in Taty, but the real challenge will be getting him to believe in himself in the most difficult game possible for a striker.
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