Top West Ham star Tomas Soucek instantly noticed Nuno Espirito Santo is a major upgrade on Graham Potter

Tomas Soucek has wasted no time making his feelings clear about Nuno Espirito Santo and it is a damning verdict on Graham Potter.

West Ham are bang in trouble after sleepwalking into a Premier League relegation battle under Graham Potter.

The Hammers were left with little choice but to sack Potter, who never looked the right fit for the club from the start.

It says everything about how fed up supporters were with the passive, uninspiring performances under Potter that Nuno Espirito Santo is already having his name sung by West Ham fans.

Nuno shows Potter was wrong man for West Ham

The original plan was to appoint Nuno during this international break, to avoid his first two games being Everton and Arsenal away.

The Portuguese impressed Hammers supporters from the start after it emerged Nuno told David Sullivan he wanted to take on that West Ham challenge.

There has been an instant lift in the displays under Nuno.

West Ham have looked more aggressive, competitive and resilient and were unlucky not to win the draw at Everton while they were solid and organised at Arsenal.

Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images

Potter ended his time at the London Stadium as a viral meme, frustrating fans with his team selection, tactics and lack of passion.

Vaunted as one of the most talented English coaches around, the Hammers saw little evidence of that during Potter’s dismal nine months at the club.

Fans have been shocked that Potter could land the Sweden job off the back of his West Ham flop.

While Nuno has impressed with his clear passion and a ruthless streak Potter didn’t have in his make-up, the next month will be huge for the new boss.

Soucek instantly noticed Nuno is a major upgrade on Potter

West Ham face Brentford on Monday night in what is looking like a must-win game already.

The only way the Hammers can move out of the bottom three is with a 4-0 win.

The Hammers then go to Leeds on Friday night before back-to-back home games against Newcastle and Burnley before the November international break.

The key to success of any manager is always buy-in from the main protagonists – the players.

That bodes well because a host of key West Ham players have been saying the same thing about Nuno.

Clearly Nuno will need to dip into the transfer market for help in January.

Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images

But one player could be like a new signing for him as Tomas Soucek returns a three-game ban which means he is yet to play under the new manager.

Now Soucek says he has already noticed that Nuno is a major upgrade on Potter — and his comments show exactly why the mood has changed under the new boss.

They are also a damning indictment on passive Potter.

Soucek says the time he has spent out, which has stretched to five weeks due to the international break, has been one of the most difficult of his career.

Not least because he has not been able to help the new boss.

Soucek has raved about Nuno, saying he has looked fantastic on the training ground.

Soucek: Nuno much more positive than Potter for West Ham

After having talks with the new Hammers boss, Soucek has suggested he is much more positive and passionate than Potter.

The Hammers fan favourite also believes Nuno will do much better than Potter with the squad he has at his disposal.

“It was tough for me because the new Head Coach, Nuno, came and I wasn’t available,” Soucek told West Ham’s website.

“I couldn’t help him from the start, so obviously I spoke with him, and he looks very good, very positive, so I just look forward to working with him and being back in the team.

“I just hope that we will do much better now and we will be more positive as a team, as fans and as everyone connected with West Ham United.”

It is so refreshing to see such honesty from Soucek.

But honest conversations should have been had about Potter at the end of last season when it was clear he was the wrong man for the job.

Now Nuno has to back up Soucek’s praise to turn the sinking ship around.