Nuno Espirito Santo is hoping to kickstart his tenure as West Ham United manager with a victory in his first game-in-charge against Everton on Monday night.
Espirito Santo, 51, was appointed last weekend to succeed Graham Potter, who was sacked after turning in multiple unconvincing performances.
The Portuguese had parted ways with former club Nottingham Forest earlier this month, after a public fallout with owner Evangelos Marikanis and sporting director Edu.
Speaking ahead of his side’s game against Everton on Monday night, the 51-year-old believes he hs to hit the ground running at the club.
“I’m trying to, as soon as possible, know all the players,” he told West Ham TV.
“I think I know them better than they know me, because it’s like that. We are coaches and we try to take all the info that we can about the players.
“Many of them, we faced each other before and now it’s preparing for the game, a tough game against Everton”, he added.
“Now it’s a new beginning for everybody. It’s a new process that we really have to know, and we find out who we are and what we want to be.”
Espirito Santo led Forest to an European spot last season and will be tasked with improving a West Ham side that have won only once in the league this season.
Potter won only six of his 25 games in charge, but Espirito Santo will be eyeing a better tenure in charge than his predecessor.
“First of all, we have to realise who we are, and then we can create an identity. But first of all, we have to know each other really, really well”, the former Tottenham boss continued.
“The supporters are very important, very important. That’s why I truly believe what we want to achieve is a platform.
“Now is not the moment to ask the fans. Now is the moment to deliver to the fans.
“When we have this bond, when other teams come to play against us, it’s going to be hell. But we have to achieve this bond first”, he concluded.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
