Manchester United great Peter Schmeichel has picked out West Ham as his biggest ‘disappointment’ at this early stage of the Premier League season.
West Ham find themselves languishing down in nineteenth place, with Wolves the one team separating them from the underside of the table after seven matches.
A record of just six wins from 23 league games ultimately cost Graham Potter his job last month and Nuno Espirito Santo has taken over the reins, tasked with rebuilding morale in a squad which has been so badly lacking in confidence.
The Hammers – whose only win this season got here against Espirito Santo’s former side Nottingham Forest – will look to show their fortunes around once they return to motion at home to Brentford on Monday night.
There have been some reasons to be cheerful as Espirito Santo kicked off his reign with a 1-1 draw away to Everton, but a 2-0 defeat by the hands of Arsenal followed – ensuring the Irons remain stranded within the relegation zone.
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‘We’ve had two tough games away from home against excellent teams,’ Espirito Santo told the BBC following his side’s latest loss on the Emirates.
‘Now could be the moment to analyse but with all of the changes that has been happening I feel the players are responding and trying and that pleases me probably the most.
‘The international break might be vital for all of us especially for the players to be calm, there’s been many changes and plenty of noises around us.
‘That is our priority – that we all know one another as a gaggle since it is largely our unity and fight for one another that we want.’
Schmeichel recognises that Espirito Santo might have time to make sure he is ready make his mark at a club the dimensions of West Ham.
But in an interview with Viaplay, the legendary ex-United and Denmark goalkeeper warned the Portuguese they he could have to quickly get the situation ‘under control’ to make sure the club avoid a full-blown crisis.
‘It’s probably West Ham,’ Schmeichel replied when asked to call probably the most ‘disappointing’ club within the English top flight this season.
‘They’re such an enormous club, they’ve 60,000 within the stands every week, they need to do lots higher.
‘They’ve already fired their manager, the fans are leaving the stadium, even at half-time.
‘It’s disappointing, they should get all of it under control. The fans, the team and the club, all of them have to stick together.
‘They’re such an enormous club and for them to be in the underside three, I don’t think that is correct for a club like West Ham.’
Turning his attentions to the alternative end of the table, Schmeichel named Bournemouth and Crystal Palace as his two biggest ‘surprises’ heading into matchweek eight.
‘Bournemouth is one in every of them, they’ve played really, rather well,’ the five-time Premier League winner explained.
‘The opposite team is Crystal Palace. Their manager has got them going and so they’re playing really good football.’
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