Brentford punish West Ham as Nuno Espirito Santo admits Hammers 'not good enough'

Brentford punish West Ham as Nuno Espirito Santo admits Hammers 'not good enough'

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo admitted his side were "not good enough" after a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Brentford at the London Stadium on Monday night.

The Hammers struggled to find rhythm as Brentford earned a deserved victory through goals from Igor Thiago and Mathias Jensen.

The result left West Ham without a win in five Premier League matches, adding pressure on Nuno, who took charge earlier this season.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Nuno did not hide his frustration. "Today was a disappointing evening because it was a disappointing performance. It was not good enough," he said.

"We had a good spell in the first 15 or 20 minutes, but after that, we got ourselves in trouble. Brentford were aggressive and took control."

The defeat was met with frustration from the home supporters, many of whom left early. Nuno said he understood their reaction but urged unity between the players and fans. "Our supporters are concerned, and we can feel it," he said. "That feeling passes to the players and becomes anxiety. We have quality players who made uncharacteristic mistakes, and that comes from pressure.

"It's up to us to bring the fans back with performances they can believe in."

On the sight of fans leaving before full-time, Nuno added: "It's up to us to connect with our fans. When they see effort and quality, they will be there for us. We need to give them something to get behind."

When asked when improvements will come, the Portuguese coach was clear. "Tomorrow," he said firmly. "Every day is important. It has to start tomorrow with responsibility, commitment, hard work, and a bit more focus. We need it now."

West Ham, who have slipped into the bottom half of the table, will travel to face Leeds United on Friday as they look to respond to a difficult night in east London.

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