West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo expressed his embarrassment following a disappointing 3-0 defeat against the Premier League‘s bottom team, the Wolves.
The Hammers’ worries about relegation intensified as first-half goals from Jhon Arias, Hwang Hee-Chan, and Mateus Mane secured a much-needed win for the Wolves at Molineux on Saturday.
Nuno described this loss as the most humiliating of his career, leaving West Ham four points away from safety in 18th place.
The former Wolves boss, who was already dismissed by Nottingham Forest this season, swiftly exited the pitch after the final whistle and is now facing considerable scrutiny after a dismal streak of nine games without a win.
“I owe an apology to the fans. This was embarrassing,” Nuno stated. “There’s not much else to say other than we’re sorry for delivering such a poor performance.”
“We urgently need points and results. This situation is difficult, and no one expected such a display from us. Today was our worst performance,” he continued. “We required significantly more from our players. The performance we delivered was unacceptable, and I can’t recall feeling as disheartened on the pitch before.”
Appointed in September after the brief tenure of Graham Potter, Nuno’s future is now subject to speculation.
“It’s not about my future but how we can overcome this situation and improve to secure the results that will lift us in the standings. That’s our priority,” he emphasized.
Nuno clarified that his quick departure to the dressing room was not a sign of disrespect to his counterpart Rob Edwards.
“I have known Rob for many years and hold him in high regard,” he insisted.
Edwards, celebrating his first win in nine attempts as Wolves boss and the club’s first league triumph since last April, downplayed the incident. “I saw him afterwards, and we shook hands, so everything is fine,” he said during a post-match conference.
Wolves carried their positive momentum from a spirited draw against Manchester United into this game, with Arias scoring just four minutes in. Hwang’s penalty and 18-year-old Mane’s impressive strike from outside the box sealed the victory before halftime.
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Edwards reflected, “I feel relieved and genuinely pleased. It’s been a good day, but we must note that this is just one win. We’re in the process of developing and progressing, but after a well-executed match, there can be a bit of a subdued feeling as well. I guess there’s a sense of ‘Thank goodness for that.’ That’s how I’m feeling right now.”