Nuno Espirito Santo believes West Ham's improved September has set up Friday night's meeting with QPR perfectly, but he has also made clear that the three-week break means the restart will not be straightforward.
West Ham go into the game on the back of a strong run that began with a 4-2 win over Wolves at the London Stadium at the start of September. Before the international break, they added three more wins and a draw, with their last outing ending 2-2 at The Den against Millwall.
Why the Wolves win mattered
Nuno described the victory over Wolves as an important one, both for him and for the players. It came after a poor start in August, and it gave the squad a base to build from as the results started to turn.
That was the key point in his assessment: the response did not happen by accident. In his view, it started against Wolves and carried through to the draw at Millwall.
He also said there are a lot of things that have changed since he last managed in the Championship with Wolves eight years ago, with the league harder and full of more quality. But he added that some things stay the same, pointing to hard work and honesty as the essentials.
One day back together
The timing of the fixture adds another layer. West Ham had a three-week break, and Nuno said the group had only one day back together before facing QPR.
He said the dynamic of the session was good and that the players who had been away had reintegrated well. That is encouraging, but it also underlines the challenge of keeping rhythm after such a pause.
For West Ham, this is now about seeing whether the momentum from September survives the interruption. The results have improved, the mood has lifted, and the manager has his monthly award to show for it. But QPR offer the next clear test of whether the run is real or simply a strong spell that needs to be rebuilt all over again.
West Ham vs QPR is scheduled for Friday night, with the match set for 7.30pm ET.
