Nuno Espírito Santo admitted West Ham failed to cope with Millwall’s physical approach during a disastrous first half at The Den.
The Hammers trailed 2-0 at the interval before goals from Mohamadou Kanté and Konstantinos Mavropanos rescued a dramatic Championship point.
West Ham were transformed after the break, but Nuno made no attempt to disguise his frustration with what came before it.
Speaking to ITV after the game, as reported by Hammers News, Nuno admitted his side “didn’t play good” and were unable to deal with Millwall’s physicality.
Nuno explains West Ham’s Millwall struggles
The warning signs were there long before West Ham mounted their comeback.
Caleb Taylor gave Millwall the lead before Camiel Neghli doubled the advantage in first-half stoppage time.
Both goals came during a period in which West Ham struggled with the direct and physical threat posed by the hosts.
Our Millwall 2-2 West Ham match report detailed how Nuno’s side repeatedly failed to deal with long throws and second balls before half-time.
Nuno accepted afterwards that his team never established control.
The West Ham boss highlighted Millwall’s ability to push onto his midfield and exploit set-piece situations, while also admitting the Hammers “should’ve been better in possession”.
That was particularly disappointing given West Ham eventually saw far more of the ball.
Possession alone meant little during the opening period because Nuno’s side failed to turn it into meaningful attacking pressure.
West Ham changes transform derby
The difference after half-time was enormous.
Nuno made changes immediately, with Kanté among those introduced as West Ham searched for a way back into the contest.
The midfielder produced a spectacular long-range goal before Mavropanos headed home Manor Solomon’s delivery to level the scores.
Our West Ham player ratings against Millwall reflected the dramatic improvement, with Mavropanos and Kanté among the standout performers.
Kanté’s afternoon later ended with a red card, creating another problem for Nuno ahead of West Ham’s next Championship fixture.
We have already examined what Kanté’s dismissal means for Nuno after the youngster went from comeback hero to being sent off.
West Ham can take encouragement from the character shown after the interval.
Nuno, though, will know that a side chasing promotion cannot afford to require another two-goal rescue simply because it failed to match an opponent’s intensity from kick-off.
