West Ham supporters could soon dare to dream again if Nuno Espirito Santo continues as he started with bold team selection decisions.
It feels like a lifetime ago already given how bad things have been at West Ham over the last 15 months, but it was just last year the Hammers were playing in a Europa League quarter-final.
That defeat to Bayer Leverkusen marked the end of three consecutive seasons in Europe for West Ham.
They are heady days fans will never forget.
But they have also whetted the appetite for more.
West Ham’s board have fumbled the foundations laid by winning a first trophy in 43 years back in 2023.
Failure to sort David Moyes’ situation out properly with a clear, coherent succession plan in place followed by the disastrous appointments of Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter have seen West Ham fall off a cliff.
New manager Nuno brings new hope to West Ham
Avoiding relegation is now the club’s main focus, not competing for the European spots.
But it is still early enough in the season for all that to change in east London.
Last season nearly half the Premier League qualified for Europe with nine clubs playing on the continent this term thanks to England’s superior co-efficient.
While thoughts of Europe may seem a wild stretch off the back of five defeats from seven games, the encouraging start from Nuno Espirito Santo has breathed some much-needed optimism back into the club.
Nuno has shown from the get-go that he is not afraid to make big, bold decisions.
Instantly dumping James Ward-Prowse, using youngster Freddie Potts and calling players out for poor defending have gone down well with fans.
Telling supporters it is time the team gave them something instead of constantly asking for fan backing and promising the opposition ‘hell’ when he gets West Ham playing how he wants has impressed too.
A more organised, aggressive and committed performance at Everton with effective counter-attacking made the Irons much more exciting to watch than they have been at any point over the last two years.
If that is the kind of impact Nuno could make in 48 hours, imagine what might be possible over the next 32 games.
Now, with a key star close to returning, Nuno faces a big call on how to fit his so-called holy trinity into the side.
The solution may be to shift two of them into totally new positions — which could unlock the Hammers’ full potential.
Nuno must use two of West Ham’s holy trinity in new positions
And who knows, it could even have the east Londoners dreaming of an outside shot at Europe again.
After all Nuno managed that with both Wolves and Nottingham Forest.
One of the changes may be controversial, but it makes perfect sense based on the style and approach Nuno favours.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is back in full training ahead of West Ham’s trip to Arsenal.
Many Hammers fans are convinced Wan-Bissaka had a fall-out with Potter covered up by a mystery ‘stomach issue’.
Potter initially said it was a stomach sickness. But fans have cast doubt on that given Wan-Bissaka has been unavailable for weeks now.
He should return to the squad for Arsenal.
It gives Nuno a big decision to make, perhaps not for the Gunners but in the medium to long-term.
Wan-Bissaka is the ideal player for a Nuno system.
But Kyle Walker-Peters has been good too since arriving on a free in the summer.
One of the reasons the Hammers brought the former Saints full-back in was because he is equally adept at playing left-back as he is right-back.
El Hadji Malick Diouf has been a sensation since arriving in a £19m deal from Slavia Prague.
Many are billing the 20-year-old Senegal star one of the signings of the season as he leads the way on the Premier League assists chart.
Diouf can play left-back, left wingback and even as a left winger.
West Ham’s big problem is up front.
Exciting solution as Wan-Bissaka returns to Hammers fold
Niclas Fullkrug put in another dreadful performance against Everton as he continues to look slow, immobile and ill-equipped to be a success as a Premier League striker.
It is a toss-up between playing the soon-to-be 33-year-old German up top or the soon-to-be 34-year-old Callum Wilson instead.
Hammers fans implored the club to sign a young, powerful, pacy forward as a priority in the summer.
Those pleas fell on deaf ears and now many supporters are left clinging to hope that young Callum Marshall can force his way into the side.
But could the answer up front actually be staring Nuno in the face.
Jarrod Bowen has rarely worked as a striker and offers so much more off the right.
But Crysencio Summerville can – and has – played as a second striker in the past.
Pace is key in the Premier League and Fullkrug’s lack of it really held West Ham back in a great second half display at Everton.
Nuno could bring Wan-Bissaka back in at right-back and push Walker-Peters to left-back.
Diouf and Summerville switch can have West Ham dreaming again
That would then allow him to use Diouf on the left wing in place of Summerville who could move into the striker role.
Imagine Summerville and his pace and trickery with only one or two players to beat before being through on goal rather than four or five.
It retains the close connection between Diouf and Summerville too.
That system would pack the team with pace, gets the holy trinity of Bowen, Diouf and Summerville in the forward line together and strengthens both sides defensively at the same time with the Wan-Bissaka and Walker-Peters switch.
It is, at the very least, worth experimenting with:
Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Walker-Peters, Magassa, Fernandes, Paqueta, Diouf, Bowen, Summerville.
That side has the potential to have West Ham dreaming again.
