West Ham: ‘We have to pull fans back together’ – why Nuno has ‘massive job’

There were empty seats before West Ham faced Brentford in the London derby. And plenty of it during the game. And even more as the game draws to a close.

The fans left behind booed their team after a truly miserable 2-0 defeat that could easily have been 5-0.

These are toxic times at the London Stadium, with some fans staying away from the stadium in protest against the club’s management.

New Hammers boss Nuno Espirito Santo (yet to win after three games) admits the players need to work hard to get fans back on track.

There was nothing to cover up this performance with the head coach’s post-match decision.

“It’s not good enough. It’s bad,” the Portuguese, who managed his first West Ham home game since replacing Graham Potter, said after two away outings.

“Obviously Brentford won the game, they were the better team.

“I think we are all worried. You see our own fans are also worried. The worry turns into worry, silence. This worry passes on to the players. We have a problem.

“It’s understandable. It’s up to us to change it. The fans need to see something that pleases them and can support and energize us.

“I understand that, I totally understand that and I respect that. It’s up to us to change that, it’s up to us to change that. We’re the ones that are going to bring the fans together again.”

West Ham remain in 19th place with just four points from their first eight games. They will also be in action in the next Premier League game, visiting Leeds on Friday.

Nuno told BBC Sport: “This is a challenge for all of us. It’s up to us to change the momentum and get our fans back to support us. We need a big improvement in four days.”