West Ham team meeting addresses slow starts

Nuno addressed the squad about slow starts after falling behind in nine of 15 matches; West Ham face West Brom on Saturday.

West Ham's tendency to start matches poorly has become a concern this season. The Hammers have conceded in the first half of nine of their 15 matches across all competitions, prompting manager Nuno Espirito Santo to hold a team meeting to address the issue before Saturday's visit of West Brom.

Captain Jarrod Bowen revealed the discussion in the matchday programme, citing last weekend's 3-2 defeat to Southampton as a prime example. West Ham fell 2-0 down early but fought back to make it competitive, ultimately losing despite a strong second-half performance.

Bowen acknowledged the squad's quality and stressed the need to perform on the pitch rather than rely on external expectations. "We know we can't afford to start games slowly," he wrote, emphasizing that Nuno's message resonated with the players ahead of the West Brom fixture.