Following the departure of Graham Potter, his successor has been determined as Nuno Espirito Santo, who joins West Ham.
Nuno brings a high level of Premier League experience to the role and appears to be proficient at providing a system of stability for his teams to work off. But will his methods work and make him the right man to be West Ham manager?
Nuno Espirito Santo’s Premier League Experience
Amongst stints with Portuguese, Spanish and Saudi Arabian teams, Nuno Espirito Santo has managed three Premier League teams, with West Ham being his fourth Premier League side. The other three teams that he has managed include Tottenham, Wolves and most recently Nottingham Forest.
Nuno Espirito Santo was a much-loved figure at Wolverhampton Wanderers, arriving with a pedigree following a successful stint with Porto. A player that was integral to Nuno’s Porto side, Ruben Neves, eventually became integral to Nuno’s Wolves side, helping them to promotion from the EFL Championship to the Premier League, as well as successful European campaigns following promotion.
Nuno’s next spell with a Premier League side came with Tottenham Hotspur, where the manager had an unsuccessful spell, becoming the Tottenham manager with the shortest time in charge since Jacques Santini in 2004. He lost seven out of his 17 matches in charge, as Tottenham fans objected to another manager with a defensive style of football.
Two years later, the Portuguese manager returned to the Premier League once more with Nottingham Forest after they parted ways with Steve Cooper. When Nuno took over the side, Forest were hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone. This contradicts the position he leaves them in, as they embark on a Europa League campaign.
Nuno Espirito Santo Joins West Ham: What Can He Bring to the London Stadium?
As has been previously referenced, Nuno is a manager who prides himself on his team’s structure and ability to work as a unit. Although West Ham have some quality at their disposal, this may be the organisational approach that the side requires to propel themselves up the league.
Furthermore, Nuno Espirito Santo has experience of joining such a side. He took over at Nottingham Forest as they were in a similar position, and at Wolves, who were lower down the footballing pyramid. At both teams, as is evidenced by the Portuguese incomings, he was able to sign his players, something which may be integral to success at West Ham.
The manager has signed a three-year contract with the East London side. This is indicative that he sees this job as a potential long-term investment, and expects this side to make a good level of progress under his stewardship.
However, some of West Ham’s weakest players are within their defensive setup. The likes of Mads Hermansen and Max Kilman have both started the season poorly. Therefore, Nuno will have to navigate those battles should he see success with this West Ham side.
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Conclusion
With the struggles that West Ham have recently incurred, a return to a sense of structure and solidity should be welcomed by their fans, and is something that Nuno Espirito Santo is certainly capable of bringing.
The likes of Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville offer quality on the counterattack and should adapt well to Nuno’s system.
However, defensive frailties remain very evident with West Ham, and as manager, Nuno has a big task on his hands when it comes to eradicating those mistakes.
With all these aspects considered, many will believe that out of everyone available, the Portuguese manager was certainly the best man for the job. However, many will be intrigued to see if progress is made under his stewardship.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Sportsphoto
Recording Date: 31.08.2025