It was in late September when former West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce issued a word of warning to incoming head coach Nuno Espirito Santo.
The 51-year-old had just replaced Graham Potter and was preparing for his first game in charge against Everton. Days prior, Allardyce issued a similar plea to Potter, but following his departure, he was hopeful Nuno would not endure the same challenges.
“West Ham’s performances and results have been so poor, especially at home,” Sam Allardyce, who managed the club from 2011-15, told the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast. “If you are going to survive, survive by winning at home. It’s lovely winning away, but it’s very difficult to win on the road. (If you win at home) you are sending your fans home happy. It’s not an easy place for your players to play, or your manager, when it’s not going well at West Ham. As much as they like to get behind the team, they will show their disapproval as well.”
Allardyce’s concerns are legitimate, considering West Ham have only won two of their eight home games this season. It was Nuno who presided over those victories against Newcastle United and Burnley, but their lack of form at the London Stadium makes for bleak reading. This calendar year, the club have only won four matches on home soil in the Premier League, the third lowest, behind Leeds United (3) and Burnley (2). Both of those teams are newly promoted.
Ahead of this Saturday’s away game against Manchester City, West Ham are winless in their last five outings. Three of their next five matches are at home, against Fulham, Brighton and Nottingham Forest. It will be a crucial period for Nuno’s side in their survival hopes, with fellow relegation contenders Leeds United gaining momentum at Elland Road. They recently sealed four points from a possible six against Chelsea and Liverpool. Leeds have only suffered two defeats at their ground (against Aston Villa on November 23 and Tottenham on October 4) this season.
Nottingham Forest, who are 16th and five points ahead of West Ham, have experienced a new-manager bounce under Sean Dyche. Since replacing Ange Postecoglou on October 21, Dyche has led Forest to four league wins, one draw and three defeats. Their sole loss at home came against Brighton on November 30.
“The opposition team won’t feel intimidated playing at the London Stadium,” ex-West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green tells The Athletic. “It’s not hostile enough, and it’s a nice place for them to play. Upton Park was the complete opposite; that’s why the London Stadium will never be a fortress. Teams in and around West Ham have grounds that can generate an atmosphere. That will be the biggest difference in clubs like Leeds and Forest staying up.
“Since I’ve been retired, so many guys have said to me, ‘If we caught you on your day at Upton Park, we knew we were going to lose’. The opposition had that fear, and it helped us. I always say the worst noise at Upton Park wasn’t the fans booing, it was the sound of the seats clacking when people got up to leave. But everyone knew which areas of the ground would be hostile for the opposition.
“The London Stadium doesn’t have that, and it’s a ground that is so much harder to gain momentum. It’s built brilliantly for athletics and to gather momentum when people run around the tracks. I’ve been there for athletics, and when people run right past you, you get up and cheer because they are close to you. But when West Ham play at home, no one is close to anything.”
In Thursday’s press conference, Nuno said he does not believe his players have a fear of playing at home. But aside from their poor defensive record, their inconsistency at the London Stadium remains a concern.
Upton Park was considered to be more intimidating (Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)
Admittedly, they have fought off relegation successfully since the move. West Ham avoided relegation under David Moyes in the 2022-23 season by finishing 14th.
But take 2013-14 as an example. Allardyce secured their top-flight status with a 13th-place finish on 40 points, with Norwich (33), Fulham (32) and Cardiff City (30) the relegated sides. West Ham’s form at Upton Park was a key factor, with five wins in their final nine home games between January 18 to May 3.
Green was part of the 2006-07 squad that sealed a “Great Escape”. West Ham’s opening-day victory against Charlton Athletic was their only win in their first nine games. Between December 23, 2006 and March 4, 2007, they only secured three points from a possible 33. Ahead of their final nine league games, Green attributes their survival to two things.
“Towards the end, we had two important home wins against Middlesbrough and Bolton,” he recalls. “The crowd lifted us, especially after the dramatic loss to Tottenham (on March 4). We gained momentum. The atmosphere at the matches felt like play-off games. We viewed it as a nine-game season and we had to finish top of the league. That run featured four home games (against Middlesborough, Chelsea, Everton and Bolton), which was a big factor in us staying up.
“When we were on that winless run between December and March, I remember we had a meeting with a sports psychologist. He asked, ‘Put your hands in the air if you think the club will stay up’. Only three of us put our hands up, and that was another turning point because Alan Curbishley (the then manager) was more flexible after. We tried tactical work and intense training, but it didn’t work, so essentially, he allowed us to do what we wanted to do.
“The craziest thing is some people in the team came alive after. Carlos Tevez (who scored seven goals in 29 appearances for West Ham) did what he wanted, and his form started to pick up. Bobby Zamora (who played for West Ham between 2004-08) wanted to play five-a-side in training, and then all of a sudden he couldn’t stop scoring. It sounds like madness, but that small tweak from Curbishley worked.
“Nuno has to find a way of bringing the joy back to the team and the crowd.”