West Ham manager’s future hangs in the balance ahead of decisive Fulham clash
West Ham United faces Fulham in a critical Premier League match, where the outcome represents a significant step toward relegation. Known as a “six-pointer,” this encounter at West Ham’s stadium is crucial for shifting momentum and could heavily influence manager Nuno’s future.
The match will take place shortly, with Nuno leading the meeting against Fulham, the team that prompted his dismissal in September after 21 months in office. A victory for Nuno could provide temporary proof of his ability to continue as manager, while a loss would deepen the crisis and raise further questions about his future with the team.
“No one expected us to play this poorly,” Nuno told BBC Match of the Day.
“Now is the time for us to reflect and think: Are we doing everything we can? Are we aware of their current situation? And how can we escape this crisis and improve? There are some matters that must be addressed.”
“Fulham will be a difficult encounter, but now is the time to respond, change, evolve, and strive to improve the situation.”
The last team to avoid relegation after earning fewer than the 14 points West Ham has secured this season was Leeds United in the 2021-22 season, who had 12 points after 20 matches. However, Leeds spent £85 million in January to bolster the squad by adding Bruno Guimarães, Paul Wood, Michael Hold, Kieran Trippier, and Michael Targett, eventually finishing 11th with 49 points after winning 12 of their remaining 19 matches.
Despite West Ham’s commitment to supporting the manager in the January transfer window, it is unlikely that Nuno will receive the same financial backing seen in that instance. This is evident as the team has already added Brazilian player Pablo Felipe from Portuguese club Gil Vicente for a fee of 25 million euros (£21.8 million)—who was a substitute at Molineux—while German player Vielnikol was sent to Villiano on loan.
“It is a complicated situation,” Nuno said when asked about the team’s prospects in the transfer market.
“The club is working on this [transfers] situation. We have issues regarding squad depth and options, but that is no excuse for what we did in the first half—the mistakes we made, the lack of effort… it was very bad. It was about mistakes we made repeatedly, and that is what’s truly bad.”
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