Is Nuno the right man for West Ham?

Nuno Espirito Santo replaced Graham Potter as West Ham manager last weekend

With West Ham lingering in 19th in the Premier League, the Hammers have opted to bring Nuno Espirito Santo in as Graham Potter's managerial successor.

Having managed Wolves and Nottingham Forest, Nuno has consistently shown an ability to raise the level of a squad, exceeding expectations.

Although his Tottenham stint was underwhelming, West Ham currently more closely resemble the situation he found himself in when taking charge of Forest.

Before his first game in charge - at Everton on Monday - BBC Sport analyses Nuno's last season at Forest, looking at his principles in an attempt to understand if he will be a good appointment for West Ham.

Pragmatism v attacking

Owners across world football are increasingly looking to prioritise coaches with a more possession-based attacking style of play.

Despite David Moyes' Europa Conference League triumph in 2023, his approach at West Ham was felt to have less upside than the expansive football other teams play, with supporters often questioning his pragmatic style of play.

But Moyes' predecessor, Manuel Pellegrini, and successors Julen Lopetegui and Potter failed to build a successful side in a more ball-dominant manner.

Across his career Nuno has shown principles that are more in line with Moyes, West Ham's most successful manager over the past decade.

Nuno's teams often have less of the ball before counter-attacking quickly. Forest's average possession last season was the third lowest in the league (41%).

By sitting deep, his teams limit opponents to low-quality chances and minimal space in behind.

Appointing him feels like an admission that the change in style did not suit West Ham and the current crop of players.

What is Nuno's style of play?

At Wolves, Nuno was known for his five-at-the-back system. However, Forest last season began most games in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Out of possession, Forest would defend in a 4-2-4 shape when pushing up the pitch. For large parts of the game, however, they would opt to block space deeper, holding a low defensive line close to their own goal.

From winning positions, Nuno would bring on Brazilian defender Morato and revert to a back five, showcasing his versatility.

Impressively, Forest did not drop a single point when Morato was introduced off the bench in this manner, although this tweak did force Forest to sit deeper under greater pressure in later parts of the game.

Forest were weakest defensively in the last 15 minutes of games, conceding 12 goals last season.

Direct attacks are a hallmark of Nuno's style and Forest would progress it centrally by launching it directly into striker Chris Wood.

His hold-up play provided an ideal backboard to aim for before attacking midfielders, particularly Morgan Gibbs-White, picked up the knockdowns.

Otherwise, Forest would play quickly down the flanks, overloading the wide areas. They often vacated the middle of the pitch, not risking progressing the ball through the midfielders.

Whether direct into the striker or down the flanks, the message was the same - to play the ball up the pitch early and with speed.

Last season Forest were the most direct side in the league, with a direct speed of play of 2.04 metres per second progressed upfield.

How West Ham might set up

With this in mind, Nuno's appointment appears well reasoned. His low-possession, counter-attacking approach minimises West Ham's weaknesses and helps get the best out of their players' strengths.

West Ham have struggled to build out from the back under pressure and, in trying to score through longer possessions, they have not created dangerous chances with ease.

For the past few seasons the Hammers have looked brightest when attacking in transition, making the most of their best players' strengths, in particular Jarrod Bowen.

Nuno's Forest would break quickly using the pace of their front four to attack space. This would suit players like West Ham's Crysencio Summerville, Lucas Paqueta and Bowen.

If Nuno wants to prioritise defensive solidity initially, he may start with a five-at-the-back system, but it would be unsurprising to see him deploy his more commonly used 4-2-3-1.

Despite having a general system he opts for, Nuno changes the roles of the players in his system based on their qualities.

Using the wingers as an example, Nuno would ask Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga to play wide.

Against Fulham last season the wingers were Elliot Anderson and Nicolas Dominguez, who were instead encouraged to move infield given their skillset.

Nuno will look to his strongest players, looking to create a team that allow them to do what they do best.

El Hadji Malick Diouf's impressive quality as an attacking full-back this season will therefore likely be utilised, with Nuno opting for defensive security elsewhere on the pitch.

Niclas Fullkrug, Summerville, Soungoutou Magassa, Mateus Fernandes, Paqueta and Max Kilman are all players who also make more sense being used in Nuno's transition-heavy system.

In analysing Nuno's Forest, it is also important to recognise the intelligent tactical tweaks he opted for last season, dispelling the myth that he is strictly a park-the-bus-and-counter coach.

Forest beat Brighton in the FA Cup quarter-finals last season using five midfielders: Danilo, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Ryan Yates and Dominguez.

Elanga and Hudson-Odoi were benched for natural midfielders, which allowed Nuno's men to block the central areas of the pitch, nullifying Brighton.

These game-specific tweaks often within his general system are a sign of Nuno's adaptability in recent months.

A fresh start

Platforming your players according to their strengths and weaknesses is paramount and tactics underpin much of how players perform too. What is often missed in tactical analysis is the human element.

Reports that Potter fell out with players including Fullkrug, Edson Alvarez and Jean-Clair Todibo suggest a club environment that had become sour, while Nuno continues to be spoken about fondly by his ex-players, including former Wolves defender Conor Coady.

He said: "I think West Ham have got an unbelievable manager and I think they will love him.

"I think how he holds himself and how he speaks and then how he works with the players and makes them better is great.

"The change in voice will really help. What you get with Nuno is a man who doesn't get too high or very low.

"West Ham are a counter-attacking team and will play on the transition. It was always right down the middle and you knew what you were doing under him."

West Ham's new boss boasts a system that aligns well with the current squad, but the interpersonal skills he brings to the job may be just as important in getting the Hammers out of their current situation.