Not for the first time in his West Ham United managerial career, Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Bournemouth resulted in plenty of questions about Nuno Espirito Santo’s tactics, his selections, and his game management.
As a ruthless Callum Wilson fired the visitors into a 2-0 lead after 35 minutes on the South Coast, the Hammers were within touching distance of ending a 67-game hoodoo.
The last time West Ham won three successive Premier League matches was as far back as December 2023. There was even a chance, if results went their way, that the Londoners could climb up to the vertigo-inducing heights of 14th by the close of play.
Instead, West Ham United will have to settle with seven points from the last nine, and 17th place.
Most supporters would have ripped your arm off at the joint if you had offered them that, of course, after the rock-bottom defeat at Leeds a month ago.
But, while Bournemouth were left ruing an ‘incredible’ Alphonse Areola performance in the West Ham goal, Nuno and co may have found themselves boarding a bus home with a strange combination of relief and regret.
Tony Gale, working on co-commentary for NBC Sports, feels that the decision Nuno made with Mateus Fernandes midway through a one-sided second-half was indicative of the coach’s tactical missteps.
Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty ImagesTony Gale says removing Mateus Fernandes was a mistake in Bournemouth 2-2 West Ham United
Nuno essentially ended West Ham’s threat in transition when he removed Wilson, Fernandes and also Luis Guilherme.
The introductions of Tomas Soucek, Kyle Walker-Peters and latterly Niclas Fullkrug certainly did not have the desired effect. The visitors were pinned in, lacking any sort of an outlet, and lucky in the end to escape with a draw.
Gale, who played over 300 games for the Hammers in the 1980s and 1990s, was struggling to see the logic in removing Fernandes in particular.
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“Fernandes coming off, that is a bit of a strange decision for me because you need to retain the ball,” a puzzled Gale said, feeling that Fullkrug should have entered the fray much earlier with Fernandes moving wide to accommodate Soucek.
“He should have come onto the left, with Fullkrug coming on I think [Fernandes] is one of those players you need because he retains possession.”
Enes Unal’s equaliser owed much to Nuno Espirito Santo’s changes
West Ham’s second-half failings were epitomised when Enes Unal – who has a history of scoring dramatic late goals against Saturday’s opponents – drifted away from Max Kilman and broke Areola’s resistance.
“It’s a great goal, but you’re so, so deep,” Gale said. “Have a look at the deepness of West Ham. There are two or three players playing [Unal] onside. West Ham really should be dealing with that.
“So many defenders, so deep as well. Everybody is leaving it to each other and they make them pay, Bournemouth.
“They can’t go any deeper, West Ham. They will be on the goal line!”
Presumably, Nuno felt that his team were capable of holding onto the 2-0 lead given to them by former Bournemouth favourite Wilson. Then again, 45 minutes is a long time to hang on in the Premier League. Even against a side lacking the injured Antoine Semenyo and Justin Kluivert.
Especially when a team camped inside their own penalty area do not have a natural ball-carrier in the Fernandes mould to drag them up the field.
Still, on a more positive note, this another point on the board. Out of the relegation zone, and an undefeated run which stretches to three games.