Nuno Espirito Santo
Nuno Espírito Santo, who began the season as Nottingham Forest’s manager, has now successfully transitioned to West Ham United, leading them to consecutive victories. These wins have propelled West Ham from the second-bottom position to the brink of escaping the relegation zone, solely on goal difference. Meanwhile, at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, Sean Dyche has managed to secure four points from his last two matches, positioning the Reds within striking distance of 14th-placed Newcastle United. Dyche’s first Premier League triumph came with a 3-1 victory over Leeds United, signaling a potential turnaround for the club.
Sherwood said: “Two very good jobs for a new manager to go into. The last thing you want to do is take a job when someone’s flying high. But Dychey was the safe pair of hands and certainly Nuno, they’ve both operated at the bottom end of the division before and they’ve got experience of keeping teams in the league and doing better than that. Yes, there’s been the petitions and they’re entitled to do whatever they want, but they get behind the team, and they’ve got something to support at the moment. They’re playing on the front foot, they’re scoring some goals, they’ve actually got a centre forward there as well, Callum Wilson, which helps score goals. So I think the penny’s dropped for Nuno, the fact that what the fans actually want there is a little attacking football and just to leave everything on the pitch. I think West Ham and Nottingham Forest will be fine.”
Sherwood continued: “It is a worry for Burnley and for Leeds, we’ve played 11 games now a lot of the analysts at every other team have had a good look at them against Premier League opposition. That tells a lot and that information is getting fed back to the managers who are prepared against them. So perhaps it might be a case of being found out. It’s not the case with Sunderland though is it? For me they will stay in the league. I think Leeds and Burnley, it’s going to be a struggle. I’m not saying they’re 100% sure, but I think they might change places with West Ham and Nottingham Forest. [At the start of the season] I didn’t stick my neck out too far. I said the teams that came up will go down. They did for the previous two seasons. If you wanted me to put my neck on the line now I would say that Wolves will go down with Burnley and Leeds.”
Nuno’s strategic shift at West Ham has been pivotal, as the team adopts a more attacking style, which has been well-received by fans. This approach, coupled with Callum Wilson’s goal-scoring capabilities, has provided the club with a much-needed boost. On the other hand, Nottingham Forest, under Dyche’s guidance, is showing signs of resilience, aiming to distance themselves from the relegation threat.
Sherwood’s insights highlight the challenges faced by other clubs, such as Burnley and Leeds, who may struggle to adapt to Premier League demands. His analysis suggests that despite the current standings, West Ham and Nottingham Forest are better positioned to maintain their league status, while the likes of Wolves, Burnley, and Leeds might face relegation.
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