by Louis Nixon
It has been a ‘Complicated year’ for Portuguese midfielder Matheus Fernandes, but there is ‘something special’ over the horizon according to Nuno Espirito Santo.
Ahead of the Brentford fixture, Nuno completed many pre-match questions in which numerous sources liked to gather information upon what he believes about the squad and who stands out more than others, but most notably were his comments on Portuguese summer signing Mateus Fernandes.
Fernandes was signed by West Ham after a major breakthrough with Southampton had been agreed, and his move to London was finally completed after negotiations for the duration of the entire summer transfer window.
His arrival provided the Hammers with a much-needed boost, and he gained a starting position in the squad in West Ham’s only win this season, which was a 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest.
Fans have noticed his performances in a positive light, but the youth talent has also received criticism from numerous directions in which Nuno has directly addressed.
“Mateus is a challenge that we have on our hands, and we sincerely believe that we can help Mateus”
Fernandes was signed from a Southampton side who had one of the worst Premier League seasons recorded, totalling just 12 points throughout the entire season, ending with a -60 goal difference conceding 86 goals in the span of 38 games [2.2 goals per game]
“I think last year at Southampton, Mateus went through a very difficult year. It was a complicated year for him. The demands were tremendous.”
Nuno Espirito Santo also discussed that “The fact of not having had many moments of genuine joy during the competition it wasn’t good either, so, let’s try to look for him to feel happier.”
Going from a team that statistically conceded two goals per game and only won two matches throughout the entire campaign, doesn’t just destroy your confidence in Football, but it also demolishes your mental state and Mateus’ breath of fresh air opportunity in moving to West Ham has ultimately ended up smelling rotten.
The manager who signed him has already been sacked from the club, so a fragile and timid mindset would likely be expected in a player who has consistently had a struggling surrounding throughout the last season and a half.
That’s not to say he cannot change. Players are similar to a flip of a switch, once a run of a couple of good games comes along, you can notice that the level of confidence they acquire can bolster them.
Nuno firmly believes that West Ham has got a superstar on their hands; it’s just that us fans have to wait for that switch to flip and hope that it can remain that way once reached.
