Nuno Espirito Santo will make a big change to the West Ham team for the relegation decider against Leeds according to a reporter who watched training.
The Hammers must beat Leeds in the final game of the season on Sunday and hope Everton beat Spurs in order to stay in the Premier League.
While West Ham pray for a big favour from former boss David Moyes, Nuno Espirito Santo must make sure he gets things right first and foremost.
The Portuguese came under fire from West Ham fans for his tactics and team selection in the dismal defeat to Newcastle last weekend.
Nuno ‘guaranteed’ to make at least one big West Ham change for Leeds
It is not the first time Nuno has faced criticism from supporters with baffling and negative tactics and team selection costing the Hammers dear in games against Brentford, Leeds, Crystal Palace, Newcastle and a host of others.
Nuno was slammed for going with a back five against the Magpies. While Callum Wilson was finally given the start he deserved, Nuno took the legs of Valentin ‘Taty’ Castellanos out of the team by playing the woeful Jean-Clair Todibo in the Argentine forward’s place.
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Many fans, journalists and pundits have noted how much the Hammers improved when Todibo was subbed off for Taty after just 25 minutes and believe they could have come away with a positive result had Nuno got it right from the start.
Nuno defended West Ham fans angry with him and the players after the Newcastle loss.
Now there is absolutely no margin for error when Leeds visit the London Stadium on survival Sunday.
And a reporter says he ‘guarantees’ a big West Ham change for Leeds after watching training.
Nuno has been putting his players through their paces ahead of the final game of the season -and perhaps for the final time too given Hammers News understands he will leave if the team is relegated.
Sky Sports’ West Ham reporter Christopher Reidy is well connected at the club and was privy to training insight before delivering an update from the London Stadium.
Taty back in from the start for West Ham’s relegation decider against Leeds
Reidy says he ‘guarantees’ Taty Castellanos will start the game.
The reporter appeared to suggest that would be in place of Wilson after starting the experienced forward ‘didn’t quite work’ last time out.
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But Nuno will surely revert to a back four which will mean Taty and Wilson can both start – as West Ham fans would want and expect in a must-win game.
“Callum Wilson came into the team against Newcastle and it didn’t quite work when he started the game,” Reidy said on Sky Sports News from outside the London Stadium.
“And I think if I can guarantee one thing on the weekend (against Leeds), it will be that Taty Castellanos will come in.
“Because it was a strange one that he was dropped, he’s made such an impact on this West Ham team, he really runs himself for the cause so that was a strange one.
“Obviously Nuno adjusted that really early on in the game (at Newcastle). So I can guarantee Taty Castellanos will start if he’s fit. It will just be the performance now that West Ham will have to put in.
“It’s obviously out of their hands, they need a favour from their old manager David Moyes… it’s a huge one for West Ham, out of their hands, but they know the job they need to do.”
West Ham fans will be furious if Nuno plays a back five again for the Leeds game.
Hammers supporters would much rather see the team go down on its sword that its shield.
While Nuno has done well to turn the team around since January, which coincided with the arrival of no-nonsense assistant coach Paco Jemez, he has also cost the club in several key matches and took far too long to get a tune out of the side after arriving in September.
There will be a number of other players pushing for recalls too including Kyle Walker-Peters and Alphonse Areola following poor performances from Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Mads Hermansen.
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