Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterFour Four TwoGet the FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Five times a weekFourFourTwo DailyFantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more.Signup +Once a week...And its LIVE!Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterWest Ham United are making a fist of the Premier League relegation battle but Nuno Espirito Santo had to solve some problems before they gave themselves a puncher's chance of survival.West Ham are currently in the Premier League relegation zone but level on points with Nottingham Forest, Nuno's former club. They've played 11 league games in the second half of the season, losing four and winning four.Nuno was appointed as the successor to Graham Potter in September and moved quickly to add former Spanish international defender Paco Jemez as his assistant manager.Article continues below You may like West Ham United have already made significant Nuno Espirito Santo sack decision: report West Ham United suffer blow to hopes of signing English champion defender Fresh twist in West Ham United transfer crisis as Lucas Paqueta's personal deadline looms West Ham coach reveals the extent of West Ham's 'very low' moraleJemez, who arrived in London with extensive experience as a manager in Spain, Mexico and Azerbaijan over the last two decades, recognised that the Hammers' problems in the Premier League ran deeper than tactics.The 55-year-old left third-tier Ibiza in October and joined Nuno's backroom team, immediately taking the opportunity to assess what was needed to rejuvenate West Ham's hopes of avoiding the drop.A post shared by West Ham United US (@westham_us)A photo posted by on In an interview with the Spanish media, Jemez hailed the Hammers' improvement since the turn of the year."West Hams situation was even worse than what I found in Ibiza. What weve done in so few matches is no easy feat in such a competitive league," Jemez told Diario de Ibiza via Sport Witness.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over."More than tactical issues, the first thing was to change the dynamic and the morale, which was very low. Not only of the players, but also of everyone involved."We had to bring joy, make training sessions more dynamic, and get the team to play with less pressure. Little by little, the team has been finding a different rhythm."Jemez said that the squad's confidence had been boosted, no doubt amplified by the fact that once-adrift West Ham have achieved what the former Ibiza coach sees as a levelling of the playing field. What to read next West Ham United are reinvesting Lucas Paqueta transfer fee immediately with ANOTHER double signing: report How to watch West Ham vs Nottingham Forest: Live stream, TV info, preview for Premier League relegation clash West Ham agree huge Lucas Paqueta sale as Brazilian leaves amid relegation battle: report West Ham are now in the relegation zone on goal difference alone, with eight matches remaining in the 2025-26 season.Nuno and his staff have overseen a significant improvement in fortunes in their previous eight games, and the run-in is about as manageable as they could have reasonably hoped at this stage of the season.Forest and Tottenham Hotspur are both within reach and the Hammers' next three opponents will be out-of-form Aston Villa, relegation favourites Wolverhampton Wanderers and mid-table Crystal Palace.They face Leeds United at home on the final day of the season, while Forest host Bournemouth and Spurs welcome Everton.TOPICSWest Ham UnitedPremier LeagueChris NeeChris is a Warwickshire-based freelance writer, Editor-in-Chief of AVillaFan.com, author of the High Protein Beef Paste football newsletter and owner of Aston Villa Review. He supports Northern Premier League Midlands Division club Coventry Sphinx.
