Nuno Espirito Santo has publicly raised the stakes at West Ham after insisting he has already informed the club’s owners of the players he wants — while issuing a stern ultimatum.
With relegation fears intensifying and patience wearing thin, the West Ham boss appears to have drawn a line in the sand, shifting the spotlight firmly onto the boardroom after being called out by the owners.
The Hammers ended another abysmal year by twice throwing away a lead as they failed to take three points in another must-win game.
West Ham took an early lead against bogey team Brighton, gave away two ridiculous penalties and conceded from a corner in another defensive implosion to make it nine points surrendered from winning positions in the last eight games.
If Nuno Espirito Santo’s side had held on in those games, they would now be sitting on 23 points in 16th and clear of the relegation zone.
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Instead they are effectively five adrift of safety on a measly 14 points halfway through the season.
It is the fewest points any Hammers team has had at this stage since they were relegated under the hapless Avram Grant.
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The same fate will befall this West Ham side unless something changes drastically.
This squad has proved well short of the quality required to compete at Premier League level, as evidenced by the fact West Ham have conceded the second most goals in the division they sit third bottom of.
The only way to make the changes needed is by backing Nuno with signings in the January transfer window, which opens on Friday.
West Ham will then have until February 2nd to bring players in to help save their Premier League lives.
Between seven and nine wins will be required in the second half of the season.
That means West Ham must somehow go from winning just three games in their opening 19 to almost one in every two to stay up.
It does not help that tensions already seem to be fraught between the owners and the head coach heading into West Ham’s most important winter window for 15 years.
Nuno insists he has told West Ham owners the players he wants
The Hammers board called Nuno out over transfers this week, saying he is very slow to approve targets to sign.
That came after Nuno insisted he would only focus on signings when the window is open.
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And after a leading journalist revealed the club’s top brass are unhappy at the lack of clarity coming from the head coach about who he wants to sign and what positions need strengthening.
Now Nuno has issued the West Ham owners with an ultimatum after naming the players he wants.
In a stern-faced interview with the club’s official website after the 2-2 draw with Brighton, Nuno appeared to respond directly to the criticism coming from the boardroom.
The Portuguese was asked about transfers and hit back at claims he has not offered clarity over who and what he wants in the January window.
Not only did he state that the owners know the names of the targets he wants in order to have a chance of keeping West Ham’s unbalanced squad up.
But Nuno also demanded the board get signings in as early as possible, something the club has historically been terrible at.
Nuno, who was sacked by Nottingham Forest for speaking out against the board over transfers, did not hold his tongue in an interview which may get fans on his side, if not his bosses.
Nuno issues West Ham board with transfer ultimatum
“It is clear, in terms of squad, we need to rebalance our squad, we need to make the right moves in a very difficult transfer window to operate,” Nuno told West Ham TV.
“But we need, we need so we can improve and have more options for the second half of the season.
“I have a clear idea about everything, the areas (of the team I want to strengthen), the names, I have a clear idea because this is our job and it’s up to us to then pass this information to the club so the club are aware of what we need – and we need.
“It’s coming in a couple of days (the window), and the reflection is clear so the sooner (we make signings) the better.”
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