Nuno Espírito Santo, the new head coach of West Ham United, is urging his players to “ignore” a planned protest by supporters against the club’s owners during their upcoming match against Brentford. This will mark Espírito Santo’s first home game in charge of the team, as they prepare to face Brentford live on Sky Sports this Monday.
The Hammers United fan group is organizing the protest in a bid to seek the resignation of president David Sullivan and vice-chairwoman Karren Brady. Despite the protest, supporters have expressed their backing for Espírito Santo and his team, and he is calling for unity ahead of the challenging match.
“I would hope that all our fans can come together and support us against Brentford because it will be very difficult,” said Espírito Santo. “As a group, we need to focus on our tasks, compete, and perform well. It’s up to us to give back to our supporters so they can rally behind us.”
West Ham has struggled at home this season, having not won a single match at London Stadium and managing only five home victories last season, the lowest for any non-relegated team. Their only win this season came against Nottingham Forest, which was coincidentally the last game before Espírito Santo took the helm.
“It’s tough to assess what has happened before,” he acknowledged, emphasizing the need to improve and transform the team into a stronghold.
The situation is further complicated by the absence of new signing Niclas Fullkrug due to a thigh injury sustained before the international break. The £19 million striker, yet to score for the Hammers this season, had previously suffered a calf injury. “We’re still waiting for results,” the coaching staff stated, emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding Fullkrug’s recovery timeline.
With Fullkrug sidelined, the competition for the striker position intensifies between former England forward Callum Wilson and Northern Irish player Callum Marshall, unless Lucas Paquetá or Jarrod Bowen are shifted into the attacking role. Espírito Santo sees this as a healthy competition, highlighting differing strengths in both players.
Excitement is palpable as the new coach prepares for his home debut against a well-organized Brentford side. “They’ve been together for a while and have specific routines that we must be ready for,” he noted. However, he remains focused on instilling teamwork and collaboration within the squad.
As West Ham seeks to break their home winless streak, there remains an optimistic belief that with support from fans and a united team effort, they can turn their season around.