'I think they just want' - Jon Spector on West Ham fans' fears as Nuno Espirito Santo takes charge

Nuno Espirito Santo didn’t quite manage to win the West Ham United way against Everton although there were positive signs that better times are around the corner.

When Espirito Santo was appointed to replace the sacked Graham Potter, how it was announced and how the outgoing boss was treated left a lot to be desired. Irons fans might have wanted the Chelsea boss replaced, but there was a way to do it and it certainly wasn’t letting him do the press conference whilst his replacement was all set to take the next training session.

Much of the talk over the last 12 months has been about the decision to let David Moyes leave at the end of his contract, a decision that now looks like the wrong one, or does it?

Will West Ham fans accept boring football under Nuno Espirito Santo?

Wanting to implement a more attacking style of play wasn’t an unrealistic aim for the club or a particular problem that could have foreseen the current predicament. Hiring the wrong managers and not recruiting the right players has led West Ham to their current position of 19th in the Premier League. Dreams of free-flowing and attacking football are fine, however, if flirting with relegation is the price to pay for it, then the consistent, resilient and pragmatic approach of Moyes will always win the day, even if it won’t ever win any beauty competitions.

Which begs the question. Once Espirito Santo secures consistency, is he too similar a style that the fans disliked and is that the correct move for a club, in desperate need of results, but also desperate to stay in the Premier League? A question answered by Jonathan Spector who also believes that relegation is still a threat:

“Yeah, I think he's done really well everywhere he's gone as well. I like him as well as a manager,” Spector told London World.

“West Ham fans, they know what they want. They want to win and they want to win in an attractive style, but more than that, I think they just want players that are going to compete and fight and leave everything on the pitch. And so, did they love that David Moyes style and all that? No, but I think what supersedes that is the fans want players that will do everything they can to help the team win. And so, that is my experience at the club.

“Have things changed a little bit after having some success and winning a trophy at a European competition? Maybe a little bit, but I think deep down, it's a club where the fans just want the players to give everything for the club. They've had some great players in the past. I mean, Paolo Di Canio is one of them. So, if you have a player with a little bit of magic like that, and I would say Paqueta is maybe that player, then they want to be entertained and see that as well.”

What West Ham fans really want to see

Espirito Santo might not have a Di Canio at his disposal, but what he does have is someone like Jarrod Bowen who he at least knows can be trusted to produce the goods if his teammates find him in the right positions.

With three goals in six games, the England international has scored half of West Ham’s goals and the 28-year old will continue to be a key figure under the new regime, even if the overall system and setup might be more defensive.

It was a similar story for Bowen under Moyes though in that he could be deployed as a wide midfielder, as a winger in a front three, through the middle as a striker or as a second striker or attacking midfielder. He epitomises what West Ham fans really want. Players who will run through brick walls for the club and show the sort of heart and desire that they would were they to be in Bowen’s boots.