Jamie Carragher Went Brutal On Nuno Santo Ahead Of Relegation Clash

West Ham United head into their final Premier League game of the season against Leeds United on Sunday knowing their survival is still on a knife edge.

Nuno Espírito Santo has failed to fully turn things around at the London Stadium, with the Hammers sitting two points behind Tottenham Hotspur and also trailing heavily on goal difference.

That means West Ham must beat Leeds and hope Everton can take something off Spurs if they are to avoid relegation to the Championship.

There is even a slim possibility of outside help from David Moyes, as the former West Ham boss prepares for a low-key awards event at Rush Green, but the reality is simple: West Ham must do their job first.

Pressure has intensified on Nuno following West Ham’s damaging 3–1 defeat to Newcastle United, a result that left their survival hopes hanging by a thread.

The game at St James’ Park was effectively decided early, with Newcastle racing into a two-goal lead inside 18 minutes through Nick Woltemade and Will Osula.

Osula later added a second goal, before Taty Castellanos pulled one back with a consolation strike for the Hammers.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Jamie Carragher delivered a strong criticism of Nuno’s tactical approach, singling out his decision to start with a back three as a major error.

Carragher argued that West Ham’s struggles with the system have been consistent all season, and the numbers back it up.

The Hammers have suffered defeats to Leeds United, Arsenal, and Newcastle using the same setup, alongside draws against Bournemouth, Brighton, and Manchester City.

Despite the respectable point against City, West Ham have failed to win any of their last six matches when deploying a back three.

“Nuno knows this system brilliantly,” Carragher said. “He used it so often at Wolves, but the real success [at West Ham] has come with 4-4-2. So it was a big mistake what he did, and he realised that after 25–30 minutes, but it was too late.”

With just one game left, West Ham’s fate is now out of their hands in many ways, and the pressure on Nuno ahead of the Leeds clash could not be higher.