West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo was spotted on the touchline dealing with a visibly furious Callum Wilson, and the exchange spoke volumes.
There are mixed emotions after the Hammers threw away a 2-0 half-time lead to draw 2-2 with Bournemouth at the weekend.
On the one hand, a draw away in the Premier League is almost always a good result for West Ham.
Especially against a quality side like the Cherries, who have been one of the success stories of the last couple of years under Andoni Iraola.
But West Ham put themselves in such a commanding position against a Bournemouth side missing their two best players, so their failure to earn a third consecutive win is frustrating.
West Ham fans blame Nuno for Bournemouth surrender
Nuno Espirito Santo has taken much of the blame for that failure.
It took woeful defeats to Brentford and Leeds playing without a recognised striker for Nuno to finally put Callum Wilson in the team.
He has responded by scoring three goals in his three starts since.
Two of those came in the first half against his old club Bournemouth as Wilson expertly finished after taking the ball on his chest both outside and inside the box.
Hammers boss Nuno has been heavily criticised for his handling of Wilson in the game, though.
On 51 minutes, the Portuguese inexplicably substituted Wilson off, bringing on Tomas Soucek in the auxiliary striker role.
With the substitution coming so early and Wilson clearly in the zone – as well as being on a hat-trick – many believed the forward must be injured.
Then came the tell-tale reaction from the player himself.
West Ham fans could not believe Nuno was taking the striker off and neither could Wilson.
He made his feelings clear too.
Nuno seen dealing with furious West Ham star Wilson
Wilson shook his head in disbelief at the early substitution, muttering under his breath and looking none too pleased with Nuno as he left the field.
Nuno was then seen dealing with furious West Ham star Wilson and it proves one thing.
The substitution completely changed the game for the Hammers, for all the wrong reasons.
West Ham simply could not compete after the change, lacking any focal point or a threat for the Cherries defence to worry about.
It allowed Iraola to push his team right up the pitch and the Irons spent the remainder of the game camped in their own half – and at times own box – clinging on for dear life.
The Cherries racked up nearly 30 shots, forced Alphonse Areola into 10 saves during the game of his life and could count themselves unlucky not to win by a landslide in the end, let alone draw.
It all hinged on that Wilson sub.
But rather than allow Wilson’s clear emotions to spill over, Nuno stepped in instantly — a moment that perfectly encapsulates his calm authority and the growing respect he commands within the squad.
Yes, it was a major mistake from the Hammers boss, whose tactics and decision-making have been somewhat topsy turvy since he replaced Graham Potter.
Nuno has been focusing on rebuilding West Ham’s team spirit and work ethic as a foundation for the future.
The results of that have been so clear in the last three games.
Nuno’s handling of angry Wilson proves West Ham have right man
West Ham’s players have been committed, fighting for one another and getting results for their hard graft.
As Wilson left the pitch furious, Nuno pulled the striker towards him for an embrace.
He was clearly explaining his decision and the thinking behind it.
And that appeared to go down well with the experienced striker, who went from wearing an angry frown to a big smile as he shared a laugh with the boss before taking his seat on the bench.
It was a snapshot that proved one thing above all: this is a manager fully in control of his dressing room.
That more than anything else that went on, shows West Ham are in the right hands, under the right manager to keep building towards Premier League survival and a brighter future under Nuno.
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