Nuno Espirito Santo kept his feet firmly on the ground during a candid interview with Sky Sports on Friday, reminding everyone that West Ham United still have a "big mission" ahead and a "hard job" to complete. His calm demeanor came after the Hammers secured a convincing 4-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, a win that lifted them out of the relegation zone and ensured they would stay clear of the bottom three regardless of Tottenham’s 2-1 draw with Brighton on Saturday. With that result guaranteeing a place above the drop, West Ham now turn their attention to Monday Night Football at Crystal Palace. "We should try to ignore the table and concentrate on what we have to do game by game," Nuno urged his players.
That advice may sound simple, but it reflects a broader strategy that the manager has been instilling throughout the second half of the season. For the supporters, however, there is plenty of reason to celebrate the dramatic turnaround the team has achieved. When West Ham lost to Nottingham Forest on 6 January, they were seven points adrift of safety and a full 13 points behind Tottenham.
Since then, five wins in eleven league matches have propelled them above the crucial safety line. The squad looks almost like a different side – a revamped group that has been reshaped both tactically and in terms of personnel.
During the winter transfer window, several players departed, including Lucas Paquetá, James Ward‑Prowse, Guido Rodríguez, Andry Irving, George Earty, Luis Guilherme and Niclas Füllkrug. In their place, Nuno brought in new faces such as Axel Disasi, Taty Castellanos, Pablo Felip, Adama Traoré and Keiber Lamadrid. "We reduced the numbers in terms of players and rebalanced our squad in terms of positions," the Portuguese manager explained.
"That’s how we wanted to approach the second half of the season – a different idea from what we had before." The shift in philosophy is evident in the statistics. From the start of the campaign until mid‑January, West Ham were 17th for goals per game, 19th for big chances created and 16th for possession.
Since the turn of the year, they have surrendered possession, now sitting at the bottom of the league for that metric, but they have become far more lethal in attack, ranking sixth for both goals per game and big chances created as they head into the next set of fixtures. Defensively, the team has also tightened up. Since goalkeeper Mads Hermansen returned to the starting XI and loan signing Disasi fortified the back line, West Ham have kept four clean sheets in their last eight Premier League outings. Their set‑piece vulnerability has been largely remedied; after conceding three set‑piece goals in a single match against Liverpool, they have allowed none in the subsequent ten games, a stark contrast to the 12 set‑piece goals they gave up in the first 21 matches of the season.
Perhaps the most important factor, according to Nuno, is the growing camaraderie among the squad. "If I can point to one particular aspect, I think everybody realised that we have to come together in the same objective," he said. "Football is a collective sport.
Everybody is needed – the squad, the coaching staff, the club employees, the fans. We are getting closer together, helping each other to achieve what we want to achieve." That sense of unity was on display in the FA Cup quarter‑final against Leeds United. West Ham found themselves 2-0 down deep into second‑half stoppage time, yet they rallied to level the score, forcing extra time and ultimately a penalty shoot‑out.
Although they fell short in the spot‑kick drama, the comeback demonstrated the team’s refusal to surrender. "To take it to extra‑time and then to penalties showed that we don't give up, that we cannot give up," Nuno emphasized. "Not only words – we showed it in front of our fans.
We cannot allow ourselves to ever give up. Never give up." Captain Jarrod Bowen epitomised that fighting spirit. After striking the woodwork twice in the cup tie and missing his own penalty, he responded by providing two assists in the 4-0 thrashing of Wolves.
"He's been amazing. Jarrod has been huge for us," Nuno praised. "He leads by example, his teammates trust him, and he embraces the responsibility of being club captain.
Jarrod never stops. This is the message we want the squad to see – no matter the situation, we keep giving, we keep insisting, we keep believing.
And Jarrod is proof of that." Bowen will once again marshal a rejuvenated West Ham side at Selhurst Park on Monday night, a team that appears ready to confront the challenges of their current position and to seize the opportunity they have carved out together. "Every game is pressure, always pressure," Nuno warned. "It’s increased due to the situation we are in and we come to this decisive moment of the season, so we expect the best of our players, realizing that everything is going to be decided now." In summary, Nuno’s message to his players and supporters is clear: focus on the immediate task, trust the collective effort, and maintain the belief that the squad’s recent transformation – both in personnel and mentality – can carry them through the final stretch of the Premier League season.