West Ham's dreadful run of results in the English Premier League continued last night with a 2-1 defeat to Leeds, marking their worst start to a season in over half a century. Their current tally of just four points from nine matches is a low not seen since the 1973/74 campaign.
They currently sit second-to-last, but a Wolverhampton victory over Burnley tomorrow would send them to the absolute bottom of the table. The managerial change, which saw Graham Potter depart and Nuno Espírito Santo take the helm, has so far failed to yield results.
Ironically, the Hammers' sole victory this season was a 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest, a team Nuno previously managed. The Portuguese coach issued a stark warning after Friday's match, stating: "We need to change our mindset, we need to change our approach, we need to be more committed, prepare better, work harder. We cannot expect things to change by themselves. Realizing we have time can be a mistake if we don't change things quickly."
Team captain Jarrod Bowen echoed similar sentiments. "This is the Premier League, and we need to sort ourselves out. We're in a really tough and complicated situation. The sooner everyone realizes that, the sooner things need to change."
West Ham has conceded 20 goals – four more than the next worst defense – and has shown little attacking prowess, scoring only seven goals. They also appear weak in physical duels, are poorly organized defensively from set pieces, and their tactical approach has drawn criticism from experts.
"The bad thing is that our team has many problems. But we have to start somewhere. And there's no need to hide behind what was before. Everyone needs to be combative and willing to get us out of this situation," added the Portuguese specialist, who has managed several clubs across England.