West Ham United are beginning to show signs of progress under Nuno Espírito Santo following a difficult relegation season. A 5-0 pre-season win over Stevenage offered an encouraging glimpse of a squad starting to regain confidence and direction.
Pre-season results require perspective, particularly against lower-league opposition. However, West Ham played with purpose, moved the ball sharply and received contributions from senior players and academy prospects.
James Ward-Prowse and Taty Castellanos scored during a controlled first-half performance. Lewis Orford, Josh Ajala and Jett Murphy then found the net after Nuno made ten changes at the break.
West Ham’s five-goal win at Stevenage provided more than a positive result. It showed the competition Nuno is trying to create throughout his squad before the Championship campaign begins.
West Ham progress under Nuno starts with clear standards
The challenge facing Nuno extends far beyond tactics. West Ham finished 18th last season and dropped into the Championship despite beating Leeds United on the final day.
The club retained the Portuguese coach after identifying improved mentality and togetherness during the closing months of the campaign. Nuno also made clear that he wanted to lead the promotion push rather than walk away following relegation.
Those improvements were not enough to preserve West Ham’s Premier League status. Nevertheless, the manager now has an opportunity to shape the squad during a full pre-season rather than attempting repairs midway through a crisis.
The players returned to Rush Green at the beginning of July. West Ham will spend most of the summer at their training base, with trips to Scotland and Germany providing stronger opposition before the season starts.
Nuno needs his players to understand their roles before the opening Championship fixture. The movement behind Ward-Prowse’s goal against Stevenage offered one positive example, with several players involved before the midfielder followed up his initial effort.
Senior players give West Ham a stronger foundation
Keeping influential players will be just as important as making new signings. Jarrod Bowen has committed himself to the promotion campaign, while Tomas Soucek and Mads Hermansen have also indicated they want to remain.
Bowen’s decision to stay at West Ham gives Nuno an established leader around whom he can build. The captain also created Castellanos’ goal at Stevenage with a well-weighted pass through the defence.
Castellanos now appears more likely to stay despite interest from Everton. His composed finish strengthened the belief that he can become the focal point of West Ham’s attack.
However, loyalty alone will not turn a relegated squad into a promotion-winning one. West Ham still need midfield reinforcements and another source of creativity following the departures of Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville.
Nuno must also decide which academy players are ready for regular senior involvement. Orford, Ajala, Murphy and Ezra Mayers all made positive contributions against Stevenage, while Mohamadou Kanté started alongside Ward-Prowse.
West Ham rebuild faces more demanding challenges
West Ham’s next fixtures will offer a better indication of their readiness. Rangers and 1. FC Magdeburg should place greater pressure on Nuno’s defensive structure and expose any remaining weaknesses.
The early signs remain encouraging. Senior players are accepting responsibility, academy prospects are receiving meaningful opportunities and the team produced a confident attacking performance at Stevenage.
West Ham still have significant work ahead before they can be considered promotion favourites. The atmosphere around the squad appears healthier, but recruitment and stronger pre-season opposition will provide a clearer assessment.
The first steps of the rebuild are now visible. Nuno must ensure they develop into a team capable of handling the demands of a 46-match Championship campaign.
