WEST HAM TRAINING-GROUND DRAMA AHEAD OF DERBY COUNTY — NUNO ESPÍRITO SANTO MAKES SHOCK DECISION ON ONE STAR AND FANS ARE NOT HAPPY!

West Ham United may have finally ended their difficult start to the Championship season with a dramatic 4-2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, but the mood around the training ground has reportedly remained far from completely relaxed.

Nuno Espírito Santo now has just days to prepare his squad for another important Championship test against Derby County, and one player could find himself at the centre of a major decision.

That player is Konstantinos Mavropanos.

The Greece international endured one of the strangest evenings of his West Ham career against Wolves.

Mavropanos was involved at both ends of the pitch, scoring an important goal for the Hammers before later turning the ball into his own net as Wolves attempted to fight their way back into the contest.

West Ham eventually survived the pressure and secured a 4-2 victory, with teenage sensation Divine Mukasa scoring twice and Jarrod Bowen also getting on the scoresheet.

But despite the positive result, questions remain over Mavropanos and whether Nuno believes the defender is ready to start again when Derby County arrive.

According to reports surrounding the situation, what happened against Wolves has affected the player’s position within Nuno’s thinking ahead of the weekend.

And that could lead to a decision that some West Ham supporters will not be happy to see.

NUNO HAS A BIG CALL TO MAKE

Mavropanos’ night against Wolves perfectly summed up the complicated situation facing Nuno.

The defender was capable of contributing at one end of the pitch, but his own goal gave Wolves a lifeline and briefly changed the atmosphere inside the London Stadium.

West Ham had looked comfortable for long periods, but the own goal opened the door for Wolves to put pressure on the hosts.

Fortunately for Nuno, his team did not collapse.

That is significant because West Ham’s inability to control games after taking the lead has been one of the biggest concerns surrounding the manager.

The Hammers had previously thrown away a two-goal advantage against Burnley, while their struggles to manage matches had frustrated supporters throughout the early stages of the campaign.

Against Wolves, however, Nuno resisted the temptation to become overly defensive late in the game.

Instead, he continued making attacking changes and West Ham eventually held on.

Mavropanos therefore finds himself in a difficult position.

He contributed positively.

He also made a costly mistake.

And with Derby coming up, Nuno must decide whether to reward the defender’s overall performance or make a change in the backline.

THE SHOCK DECISION

The emerging expectation is that Nuno could be tempted to make a change involving Mavropanos for the Derby County match.

It would be a bold decision.

Especially after the defender scored in a match West Ham desperately needed to win.

But Nuno has already demonstrated that he is not afraid of making ruthless selection calls.

Earlier in the week, he made four changes to his starting XI for the Wolves match, including bringing Mavropanos back into the team.

That selection ultimately paid off, even if the defender’s evening contained one major blemish.

Now the manager has another decision to make.

Does he keep Mavropanos in the starting XI and give him the opportunity to respond?

Or does he remove him from the team and send a clear message that mistakes will have consequences?

For some supporters, dropping Mavropanos would make little sense.

After all, West Ham won 4-2.

The defender scored.

And the team finally looked more dangerous going forward.

Others, however, may believe that Nuno needs to demand greater concentration from his defenders, particularly if West Ham are serious about returning to the Premier League at the first attempt.

FANS ARE ALREADY DIVIDED

The potential decision has created the kind of debate Nuno could probably do without.

One section of supporters believes Mavropanos deserves another opportunity.

They argue that his overall performance against Wolves should be judged rather than one unfortunate moment.

He scored a goal, helped West Ham deal with a difficult attacking opponent and was part of a defence that ultimately secured the victory.

Dropping him immediately, they believe, could damage his confidence.

Others see things differently.

West Ham cannot afford to repeat the mistakes that contributed to their relegation from the Premier League.

The club’s entire objective this season is to return to the top flight, and that requires consistency.

If Nuno believes Mavropanos is not completely ready for another start, supporters may have to accept that the manager is protecting the team rather than punishing the player.

But there is one thing that could make the decision particularly controversial.

Mavropanos’ own goal against Wolves was not the only defensive mistake West Ham made.

The team still allowed Wolves to create dangerous opportunities after taking control of the match.

Nuno himself has admitted that there are still mistakes that need to be corrected.

That means the manager’s decision could reveal how much confidence he has in individual players going into the next fixture.

DERBY PROVIDE ANOTHER TEST

The timing could hardly be more important.

West Ham face Derby County next, and the match comes at a point when momentum is beginning to return to the London Stadium.

After three Championship matches without a win and just two points from those fixtures, the victory over Wolves was exactly what Nuno needed.

The 4-2 result moved the pressure away from the manager and gave supporters something positive to celebrate.

But one victory does not solve everything.

Derby will provide another test of West Ham’s mentality.

Nuno knows that if his team can follow the Wolves victory with another three points, the mood around the club could change dramatically.

A poor result, however, could immediately bring the old questions back.

That is why the selection of Mavropanos could become one of the most closely watched decisions before kick-off.

NUNO MUST GET THIS RIGHT

The Portuguese manager is under pressure to get West Ham promoted.

The club suffered relegation last season and made it clear that an immediate return to the Premier League is the objective.

Nuno has already experienced intense criticism from sections of the fanbase this season, with supporters frustrated by the team’s early results.

The Wolves victory temporarily eased that pressure.

Now he must build on it.

That could mean making an unpopular decision.

Managers are not appointed to make supporters happy with every selection.

They are appointed to make difficult calls.

If Nuno believes Mavropanos needs to be protected, rested or replaced against Derby, he may be prepared to accept the backlash.

And if he keeps him in the team, he will be asking the defender to respond to his mistake in the best possible way.

Either decision carries risk.

But perhaps that is exactly what Nuno wants.

A reaction.

A response.

A player who understands that mistakes happen, but that they cannot become a pattern.

For Mavropanos, the next few days could therefore be crucial.

The Wolves match gave him a goal to celebrate but also an own goal he will want to forget.

Now comes Derby County.

And potentially the biggest selection decision of his season so far.

West Ham have finally found a victory.

Nuno now has to prove that he can turn that victory into momentum.

Whether Mavropanos starts or watches from the bench could be one of the clearest indications yet of what the West Ham manager really thinks about his squad.

And if the decision goes against the popular defender, expect the supporters to make their feelings known.

The Hammers cannot afford another setback.

They cannot afford another collapse.

And Nuno certainly cannot afford to get his next big decision wrong.