The West Ham Breakdown

By Jack EldertonSports News Sports News Soccer

The West Ham Breakdown episodes

January 02 #101 Nuno: Stick or Twist?
Are we seeing progress under Nuno, or is the eight-game winless run a sign of deeper issues? This week on The West Ham Breakdown, Jack and Darcy dive deep into tactical shifts, youth integration, and ask the ultimate question regarding Nuno: Stick or Twist?

We break down the Brighton stalemate, how Paquetá’s move to the left unlocks Jarrod Bowen's potential, and analyze another frustratingly late collapse against Fulham. Why are we struggling to see games out, and is it a personnel issue or a game management flaw?

Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(01:48) Nuno's Report Card: Stick or Twist?
(19:11) West Ham 2-2 Brighton Review: Paqueta's Gravity & Tactics
(44:39) West Ham 0-1 Fulham Analysis: Why do we collapse late?
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Cal: @WHU_Analytics
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Charlie: @ATopLad

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59 min
December 23, 2025 #100 The Ghost of Relegation Yet to Come
Jack and Cal break down Manchester City 3-0 West Ham, discussing a sobering afternoon in the Premier League following another defeat for Nuno's side and Leeds getting a surprise win against Crystal Palace at Elland Road. They dissect all the goals from the Etihad, talking the individual errors and tactical lapses that led to Erling Haaland’s brace and Tijjani Reijnders' strike, questioning why the Hammers got exposed and why the substitutions failed to turn the tide. Jack and Cal also debate the 4-3-3 shape, whether it’s time to flatten the midfield to provide better defensive width and the lack of support Oliver Scarles upon his return against Rayan Cherki. They also take at Crysencio Summerville and Freddie Potts impact and performances before finishing with a look at the chronic lack of xG creation. With all the goal-scoring pressure on Bowen and questions mounting over bench usage and the absence of younger talents, they ask the big question: how do you fix West Ham?
Please do leave us a review and subscribe to the podcast to catch every episode.

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You can follow the pod (and our other work) on Twitter:
Main: @AnalyticsUtd_
Jack: @jackelderton
Cal: @WHU_Analytics
Darcy: @futpysche
Charlie: @ATopLad

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1 hr 3 min
December 16, 2025 #99 Good Performance, No Points: Why?
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Cal and Darcy break down West Ham's 2-3 loss against Aston Villa in the Premier League, discussing the frustrating reality that a decent Hammers performance once again failed to yield deserved points. We analyse Nuno Espírito Santo's tactical shifts, starting with a narrow 4-3-3 to the subsequent 4-1-4-1 out of possession adjustment and debating whether his plan to protect the centre and maintain transitional threat ultimately invited the late pressure that cost the game. Finally, we discuss Nuno's tenure so far given his less than ideal points per game in comparison to his predecessors Graham Potter and Julen Lopetegui, asking whether this matches the eye-test how serious the relegation threat is with the team just three points off safety.

Note: Unfortunately, Cal's audio file was corrupted while exporting. We've done our best to clean it up, although some minor audio glitches may still remain.
Please do leave us a review and subscribe to the podcast to catch every episode.

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You can follow the pod (and our other work) on Twitter:
Main: @AnalyticsUtd_
Jack: @jackelderton
Cal: @WHU_Analytics
Darcy: @futpysche
Charlie: @ATopLad

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1 hr
December 09, 2025 #98 Why West Ham Keep Conceding Late Goals
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Cal Goodall and Darcy Cox break down West Ham's recent Premier League fixtures against Manchester United and Brighton, both of which ended in 1-1 draws Nuno Espírito Santo's side. They discuss the tactical switch to a back five against Brighton, analysing how Nuno sought to protect the centre force the Seagulls wide and encourage transition play - spearheaded by Lucas Paquetá, Jarrod Bowen, and Crysencio Summerville. They debate Brighton's controversial goal and shout out Ezra Mayers' senior debut. Cal and Darcy also discuss West Ham's performance at Old Trafford, one of the better showings this season, focusing on the attacking dynamic on the right side and the possibility of Bowen at #10. They dissect the defensive dynamics that allowed United into the game and assess the impressive emergence of Soungoutou Magassa. Finally, they tackle the recurring issue of managing the final 15-20 minutes in both matches. Did Nuno's late changes concede too much pressure or was it a necessity due to fitness? They evaluate whether or not sitting deep and parking the bus is still viable in the modern Premier League.
Note: Unfortunately, Cal's audio file was corrupted while exporting. We've done our best to clean it up so you can fully enjoy the classic Cal tones, although some audio glitches may still remain.
Please do leave us a review and subscribe to the podcast to catch every episode.

Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/analyticsunited

You can follow the pod (and our other work) on Twitter:
Main: @AnalyticsUtd_
Jack: @jackelderton
Cal: @WHU_Analytics
Darcy: @futpysche
Charlie: @ATopLad

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1 hr 2 min
December 02, 2025 #97 What Is West Ham’s Strongest 11?
Cal Goodall and Darcy Cox break down West Ham 0-2 Liverpool, a game marred by a moment of madness on the pitch and heart-breaking news beforehand off it. They discuss Lucas Paquetá's red card for dissent and the ramification his sending off had on the game and team going forward, how Nuno Espírito Santo appraoached hosting Arne Slot's faltering Premier League Champions and much more. They also ask what West Ham's strongest 11 actually is given the return of Konstantinos Mavropanos from injury, Jarrod Bowen and Paquetá's current form, Soungoutou Magassa impact in midfield and more.
Please do leave us a review and subscribe to the podcast to catch every episode.

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You can follow the pod (and our other work) on Twitter:
Main: @AnalyticsUtd_
Jack: @jackelderton
Cal: @WHU_Analytics
Darcy: @futpysche
Charlie: @ATopLad

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58 min
November 25, 2025 #96 Inevitability
Cal Goodall and Darcy Cox break down Bournemouth 2-2 West Ham, a frustrating result considering the Hammers were leading 0-2 at half time. They discuss whether they consider it a point gained or 2 lost, West Ham's second half substitutions and whether we brought the ensuing onslaught on ourselves, playing a back 4 vs back 5 under Nuno, what the long-term strategies look like after the last 3 games and much more.
Please do leave us a review and subscribe to the podcast to catch every episode.

Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/analyticsunited

You can follow the pod (and our other work) on Twitter:
Main: @AnalyticsUtd_
Jack: @jackelderton
Cal: @WHU_Analytics
Darcy: @futpysche
Charlie: @ATopLad

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59 min
November 11, 2025 #95 Marvellous Mateus Conquers Clarets
Jack Elderton and Cal Goodall break down West Ham 3-2 Burnley, another vital 3 points for the Hammers' as the long wait for back to back Premier League wins finally ends after 9 long months. They analyse the game in detail, including the positives and negatives Nuno Espírito Santo's side displayed and whether West Ham walked away with all 3 points because of their own performance levels or Burnley's lack thereof. Jack and Cal discuss the midfield trio of Mateus Fernandes, Freddie Potts and Lucas Paquetá and the platform they've built, the lack of control West Ham actually had in the game and why it played out that way, if the inverted CB pairing of Maximilian Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo worked well for a second game in a row, the substitute switch to a 5-4-1, what worked and what didn't, whether this run of wins is sustainable and much more.
Please do leave us a review and subscribe to the podcast to catch every episode.

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You can follow the pod (and our other work) on Twitter:
Main: @AnalyticsUtd_
Jack: @jackelderton
Cal: @WHU_Analytics
Darcy: @futpysche
Charlie: @ATopLad

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59 min
November 04, 2025 #94 The Freddie Potts Appreciation Hour
Jack Elderton and Cal Goodall break down Nuno Espírito Santo’s first win as Hammers Head Coach, West Ham 3-1 Newcastle in the Premier League, the club’s first since August. It also marks the first time the London Stadium has seen the home side pick up the full 3 points since February. We discuss all the action from Sunday’s game, including goals from Lucas Paqueta, Tomas Soucek and Jacob Murphy as well as an own goal from Sven Botman, Freddie Potts’ outstanding performance in his first Premier League start, the difference in approach between the first and second halves, West Ham’s striker woes and if Wilson or Soucek are the solution and much more.

Timestamps:
(00:00) WE ACTUALLY WON A GAME
(01:49) West Ham 3-1 Newcastle review
(04:45) The massive improvement in West Ham’s physicality
(13:45) Freddie Potts has arrived as a Premier League player
(22:49) Mateus Fernandes showed why he is worth so much
(29:40) Is Callum Wilson the answer to West Ham’s striker problems?
(31:51) Did inverting Maximilian Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo work?
(33:42) How West Ham and Newcastle performed in the second half
(43:14) Did the Nuno’s substitutions help or hinder West Ham?
(45:45) Tomáš Souček as a striker, does it make sense?
(51:38) Nuno’s makeshift solutions highlight West Ham’s recent recruitment issues that need addressing in the January Transfer Window
Please do leave us a review and subscribe to the podcast to catch every episode.

Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/analyticsunited

You can follow the pod (and our other work) on Twitter:
Main: @AnalyticsUtd_
Jack: @jackelderton
Cal: @WHU_Analytics
Darcy: @futpysche
Charlie: @ATopLad

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1 hr
October 28, 2025 #93 History Repeating
Jack Elderton and Darcy Cox break down West Ham's 2-1 loss to Leeds United in the Premier League. Nuno Espírito Santo took a risk at Elland Road by picking a similar line up to that from the previous fixture, a 0-2 loss to Brentford, which ended up backfiring as the Hammers' put in yet another hugely concerning performance that saw Daniel Farke's team ease past a fragile West Ham. The introduction of Freddie Potts, Mateus Fernandes, Soungoutou Magassa and Kyle Walker-Peters might have given West Ham a lift in the second half, but first half goals from Brenden Aaronson and Joe Rodon meant Fernandes' 90th minute header was too late to salvage any points in what is fast becoming a massive fight for survival at the bottom of the Premier League table.

Jack and Darcy dissect the game, discussing the surprising team selection from Nuno, including the repeated use of inverted full-backs in Oliver Scarles and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, as well as the inclusion of Tomáš Souček and Andy Irving in the middle of the park at the expense of Magassa, Fernandes and Potts. They also break down the tactical ideas from both sides, the importance of physicality in the Premier League and West Ham's struggles to compete, how and why the side improved in the second half and if it's possible to find any positives in the underlying data to suggest the London Stadium might not be hosting Championship football next season.
Please do leave us a review and subscribe to the podcast to catch every episode.

Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/analyticsunited

You can follow the pod (and our other work) on Twitter:
Main: @AnalyticsUtd_
Jack: @jackelderton
Cal: @WHU_Analytics
Darcy: @futpysche
Charlie: @ATopLad

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57 min
October 22, 2025 #92 Existential Dread
Jack Elderton and Cal Goodall break down West Ham's 0-2 loss to Brentford in the Premier League. Nuno Espírito Santo rung in the changes at the London Stadium on Monday night, with surprise inclusions for West Ham academy graduate Oliver Scarles and Scottish international Andy Irving starting the game against The Bees. Goals from Igor Thiago and Mathias Jensen were enough to give Keith Andrews an away league win, the first of his nascent managerial career, with very little response from Nuno's side.

Timestamps:
(00:20) What just happened?! West Ham 0-2 Brentford review
(05:12) How did the game go so badly wrong?
(21:55) Individual player performance reviews
(22:24) Maximilian Kilman & Jean-Clair Todibo
(31:22) Konstantinos Mavropanos
(34:52) Tomáš Souček
(35:45) Lucas Paquetá
(42:05) Can managers be blamed if the squad has consistently weakened year on year?
(55:06) Comparing Brentford and West Ham’s recruitment since 2022
Please do leave us a review and subscribe to the podcast to catch every episode.

Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/analyticsunited

You can follow the pod (and our other work) on Twitter:
Main: @AnalyticsUtd_
Jack: @jackelderton
Cal: @WHU_Analytics
Darcy: @futpysche
Charlie: @ATopLad

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1 hr 4 min

About The West Ham Breakdown

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A weekly podcast exploring the tactics and data behind every West Ham match. Featuring Jack Elderton and Callum Goodall. Brought to you by Analytics United.