Nuno Espirito Santo must persist with ‘electric’ West Ham star, he could save him his job
Nuno Espirito Santo’s job at West Ham may not be at risk yet, but that could change if West Ham don’t improve.
West Ham’s defeat to Leeds last time out was their seventh of the season, with the Hammers sitting 19th in the Premier League.
Their poor start to the season saw Graham Potter lose his job, and if things don’t improve, Nuno’s position at West Ham will start coming under threat.
With that in mind, it is expected that he starts to ring the changes at the London Stadium, but if he is to start finding success, he needs to stay patient with one of his stars.
However, there have been flashes of quality from the Dutchman that showcase the fact he has what it takes to get the Irons out of the position they are currently in.
West Ham have lacked any real threat going forward, and while Summerville has contributed to that, he has previously shown the attributes in his locker that can impact that.
When he was playing for Leeds, James McFadden described Summerville as “absolutely electric” for BBC, and one stat backs that up.
Via FotMob, Summerville averages 1.9 dribbles per 90, which is the joint-best for a West Ham player alongside Callum Wilson.
47.6 per cent of his attempted dribbles are successful, which is a better success rate than Jack Grealish, who has earned plaudits all season at Everton.
Given the fact that the 23-year-old has registered just one goal contribution, it would be easy for Nuno to drop him, but this showcases why that would be a mistake.
West Ham’s defensive record is the biggest concern
West Ham have conceded the most in the Premier League this season, with 20 goals against them in just nine games.
To make matters worse, 25 per cent of those goals have come from newly-promoted sides, who, so far, have looked like they will be far more competitive than the Hammers this season.
That is the first thing Nuno needs to address at the London Stadium if his tenure is to be a success.
Only Burnley have conceded more xG against than the Irons, which actually demonstrates the fact that they are underperforming massively at the back.
However, if that is to be addressed, it needs to be sooner rather than later.
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