Nuno Espirito Santo has admitted West Ham's travelling supporters were justified in their jeers and chants that his players were "not fit to wear the shirt" following a 3-1 defeat at Newcastle United. The result leaves the Hammers teetering on the edge of Premier League relegation.
Relegation threat looms large
West Ham currently trail Tottenham Hotspur by two points. They could be relegated as early as Tuesday evening if Spurs secure victory at Chelsea. Even a draw would leave West Ham in a precarious position ahead of their final match of the season at home to Leeds United.
A vocal section of the away support made their displeasure abundantly clear at full time, and Nuno conceded their anger was entirely warranted.
"It hurts a lot, of course. This is our job, this is our life, but the fans are right and today they show their anger and frustration and they have reasons to," the Portuguese manager said.
"It hurts, it hurts the boys, it hurts us, it hurts the club. That's why this week we should finish the season with dignity and respect for the fans."
Call for improved performance
Nuno urged his squad to deliver a far better display in their final home game to restore some pride.
"We should do better so we can show at the London Stadium to our fans a different performance and attitude in terms of the game," he added.
"Anything is possible. Let's wait for Tuesday. Even though it's difficult, we're still alive. Let's see. There's some hope. But more than anything is respect. Let's prepare ourselves and show a better performance. This is what our fans deserve."
Match summary
Newcastle took the lead in the 15th minute through Nick Woltemade, who scored his first league goal since December. Will Osula then struck twice, first in the 19th minute and again after the interval, to put the hosts in control. Substitute Taty Castellanos pulled one back for West Ham with 21 minutes remaining and later hit the crossbar, but it proved too little, too late.
Reflecting on the performance, Nuno said: "Bad performance and a bad day for us. It's going to be a tough week ahead. After today, it's going to be a very tough week."
Howe praises Osula
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe was delighted with a much more fluent display from his side, particularly the form of Will Osula. The Denmark Under-21 international has now scored five goals in his last eight league appearances, stepping up after expensive summer signings Woltemade and Yoane Wissa struggled for form.
Asked if Osula had done enough to secure a starting spot next season, Howe said: "I don't think he could have done any more. When you look at what he's done, the goal return that he's given us, and not just the goal return, as well his work ethic and his attitude."
"Being a number nine for Newcastle is incredibly difficult and there's a lot of responsibility on that position. Of course, Newcastle have had some iconic number nines over the years, so I think it's a great thing for a player to take on. But the responsibility is the big thing and he needs to continue to develop his game to do that over a longer period of time, but certainly he's put himself probably in pole position to do it."
