West Ham's head coach has stated that the team's squad are ready to evolve and have taken blame for the club's disappointing results over the last year and a half.
Nuno, who is the club’s third manager since the previous manager departed at the end of the previous campaign, is striving to improve the atmosphere in the dressing room after taking over from his predecessor recently. The London club have been short on leadership, and there is a widespread acknowledgment among the players that they contributed to Potter losing his job after eight months.
“I've encountered a nice team of individuals,” the manager stated. “They are starting to understand that we have to change things. Without change, results will be the same. The players are willing to change. I can see it. Therefore, let's embrace it and let’s change it.”
“It goes from technical, strategic, fitness-related, mindset, discipline, dialogue. Communication is such an important tool for us. We currently lack complete mastery of it. It must become a honest and clear communication that we all participate in. The squad has held themselves responsible and are prepared to move forward.”
The new boss has had little time to settle in. He does not have his backroom staff so far, and the ex- Nottingham Forest manager is not thinking about what the team, in 19th place before facing Arsenal on Saturday, can achieve this campaign. “My task is simple,” Nuno explained. “It focuses on tomorrow.”
A significant worry for the coach is improving his team's defense at dead-ball situations. West Ham have shipped eight goals from corner kicks this term – the latest concession came in his first game, Monday’s tie at Goodison Park – and will be under constant scrutiny from set plays against their upcoming rivals. The worry for him is that it turns into a mental problem.
“It can,” he said. “But we will attempt to prevent it. The worst thing that can occur is that if an rival gets a corner, we start immediately believing that we are in trouble. It can become a psychological block.”
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