After West Ham United lost 1-2 to Leeds United in the Premier League, West Ham head coach Nuno accepted an interview. He asked his players to show more "commitment, focus and responsibility" and expressed dissatisfaction with the team's defensive approach in the opening 15 minutes.
Q: How do you evaluate this defeat?
Nuno: It’s not difficult to talk about this. This is reality and we have to face it. We started really badly, really badly, especially in the way we handled defensive situations in the box. We allowed the confrontation, we allowed the second shot.
Then it's a corner kick. It was a corner kick, which is something we improved on a little bit from the last game, but they punished us again.
Q: What are your requirements for the players?
Nuno: Commitment, focus and responsibility, this is all we ask of our players. We have to show commitment and a desire to touch the ball first. We must do it.
Q: The team has only one win in nine games. How do you turn the situation around?
Nuno: We still have time, but we can’t hide anymore. We have to get better immediately and start training hard in a long week tomorrow. We have to show a different look at home.
Q: Are you disappointed with the way the ball was conceded?
Nuno: Before all this, there must be a sense of responsibility, some things are really hard to accept. This is very difficult to accept. After all that preparation and all the things we mentioned, it was disappointing. We know this, and we are being punished for what we know.
Question: Do you think the team’s defeat was due to you or because your opponent was too strong?
Nuno: We must praise the team that defeated us, but I firmly believe that we lost the game ourselves. It's us who are making the mistakes. We are the ones to blame ourselves.
I always praise our opponents. When you win, maybe you don't see as many things to improve on, and when you lose, all the problems come. To me, as I see it, what we need is an immediate response.
Q: You went to the fans after the game. What did you want to say to them?
Nuno: I walked into the stadium after the final whistle and I saw the frustration of the supporters. I saw the anger and disappointment on their faces and we understood them. It's up to us to turn the situation around. It's up to us to deserve their support.