Nuno Espirito Santo has already corrected infuriating Graham Potter mistake, West Ham fans could not be happier
Nuno Espirito Santo has already endeared himself to the West Ham faithful following one single decision against Everton.
West Ham drew 1-1 with Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday, 29 September, with Jarrod Bowen netting the all-important equaliser to avoid the club’s fifth league defeat of the season.
It was Nuno’s first game since replacing Graham Potter at the London Stadium, and despite the change in manager, there were still the obvious weaknesses present against the Toffees.
James Ward-Prowse was instantly dropped from the squad, having previously struggled under the manager during his short time at Nottingham Forest, and that was a moment waiting to happen.
However, it was his possible long-term replacement who fans were excited to see finally given more minutes on the pitch after initially being given a chance during pre-season.
Freddie Potts makes a statement against Everton
In the 59th minute, Freddie Potts was brought on in the place of new signing Soungoutou Magassa, who did not have the greatest of first starts, having picked up a yellow card early in the second half.
However, it gave Potts the perfect chance to prove himself on the Premier League stage, something that he was only allowed to do once under Potter this season, featuring in the 5-1 thrashing by Chelsea.
During his 31 minutes on the pitch, the 22-year-old completed 83 per cent of his passes, three of which were into the final third, won 100 per cent of his tackles, made two clearances, and won a total of four duels [FotMob].
| Freddie Potts vs Everton | Stats |
| Minutes played | 31 |
| Passing accuracy | 83% (15/18) |
| Touches | 26 |
| Tackles won | 100% (2/2) |
| Ground duels won | 67% (2/3) |
| Aerial duels won | 67% (2/3) |
For a youngster to come into such a high-octane situation, with Jack Grealish, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Iliman Ndiaye still on the pitch, he held his own away from home completely.
Nuno Espirito Santo still has major issues to address at West Ham
West Ham fans want Craig Dawson to return as a defensive coach after being pictured at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and that is because of the Hammers’ major problems with set-pieces.
Michael Keane‘s headed goal on Monday summarised their issues perfectly, and after the game, no other team in the Premier League has conceded more goals this season.
Bowen, Lucas Paqueta, Crysencio Summerville, and Niclas Fullkrug continue to lead the line, and other than the German striker, they all continue to do that well for the Irons.
Nuno will always have an escape route on the pitch, giving the ball to Bowen, who darts up and down the right flank, but until the defensive issue is solved, relegation will be a major concern this season.