West Ham Insider Reveals Nuno’s Striker Gamble Before Sacking

Following the dismissal of Nuno Espírito Santo, questions are inevitably being asked about what went wrong during his time at West Ham United. And while there are plenty of areas worth examining, one of the most revealing concerns the Hammers’ striking department.

As Claret & Hugh learned from a West Ham insider before Nuno’s departure, the club’s three recognised centre-forwards were all specifically wanted by the Portuguese coach. That information is particularly significant given the team’s struggles in front of goal and the manager’s apparent reluctance to use some of the players he recruited.

The source’s assessment was straightforward: “They were all Nuno’s picks.”

It is a revelation that makes some of the decisions taken during the Championship campaign even harder to understand, particularly now that the manager has paid the price for West Ham’s disappointing performances.

Nuno Pushed Hard To Sign Piroe

Now, let me be absolutely honest here.

The transfers attributed to recruitment director Nils Koppen have enjoyed varying degrees of success, and I still believe the jury is out on whether West Ham overpaid for Arne Engels.

But as Koppen himself explained, he had a very short period of time at the London Stadium before the summer transfer window closed.

What is not in doubt, according to our source, is that Nuno wanted Taty Castellanos, Pablo and Joël Piroe.

And it is the situation surrounding Piroe that I find particularly interesting.

A source told Claret & Hugh:

“Nuno pushed really hard for Piroe because of his Championship goalscoring record. I’m surprised he hasn’t played more.”

That is a rather revealing admission.

Piroe arrived with a proven record of scoring goals in the Championship, something West Ham desperately needed following relegation.

Yet despite the Hammers’ continuing struggles in front of goal, he was given relatively limited opportunities to establish himself.

If Nuno was so determined to sign him, why was he so reluctant to play him?

It’s a perfectly reasonable question, particularly when neither Castellanos nor Pablo has done enough to make himself indispensable.

As we have already highlighted, the constant chopping and changing in attack did little to help any of West Ham’s forwards find form.

And if all three were Nuno’s preferred signings, it becomes considerably harder to blame the recruitment department for the lack of goals.

West Ham Concerns Extended Beyond Recruitment

There had also been growing concern behind the scenes at the London Stadium that Espírito Santo did not know his best team.

It was a criticism supporters had been making for some time, and one that became increasingly difficult to dismiss as the manager continued changing personnel and formations.

The defeat against West Bromwich Albion provided another example of a team struggling for cohesion, creativity and confidence.

Ordinarily, in times gone by at West Ham, a certain amount of player frustration would eventually find its way back to David Sullivan.

Whether that happened in this instance remains unclear, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding the club’s ownership and decision-making structure.

But irrespective of any input from players, it had become increasingly evident that concerns were growing within the Hammers hierarchy.

The subsequent decision to dismiss Nuno confirms that the board believed a change was necessary, although it does not establish which individual concerns proved decisive.

The Next West Ham Manager Inherits The Same Strikers

Of course, Nuno’s departure doesn’t magically solve West Ham’s goalscoring problems.

Castellanos, Pablo and Piroe remain at the club, and whoever takes over will have to find a way of getting considerably more from them.

But that is also what makes the appointment of a new manager so interesting.

We have spent months wondering whether the problem was the players themselves or the way they were being used.

Now somebody else will have an opportunity to find out.

And perhaps the most revealing test will be what happens to Piroe, the proven Championship goalscorer whom Nuno apparently wanted so badly but seemed so reluctant to select.