EXCLUSIVE: Marlon Harewood believes West Ham will avoid relegation under Nuno

Ex-West Ham striker Marlon Harewood has spoken of his belief that the East London club can continue improving under manager Nuno Espirito Santo and pull clear of the Premier League relegation zone this season.

In an exclusive interview with Odds Now, on behalf of UK bookmaker William Hill, the former Hammers attacker gave his thoughts on the club's improved form since the Portuguese gaffer was appointed.

The only way is up?

West Ham have endured a difficult start to their season. The club lost four of their opening five league games under former manager Graham Potter.

As the club languished at the wrong end of the table, the board pulled the trigger on 27th September and replaced Potter with former Wolves and Nottingham Forest boss Nuno.

It was an uncertain start to life in the East End for Nuno, as he failed to pick up a single win in his first four league matches. However, since then, he has gone on to suffer just two losses in his last seven league games.

When asked about whether he was confident West Ham could now avoid relegation from the English top flight under Nuno, Harewood was adamant the team was on the right path, despite still being in 18th place and three points adrift of safety.

Harewood said, "Yes, I am. I’ve been to quite a few of the games, and Nuno has got the team back playing to a much better level recently.

"It was a tough start to the season, but we have gone back to basics defensively and offensively. The team suddenly looks far more dangerous going forward.

"This is so important, as in the early part, we struggled a lot to create chances. Jarrod Bowen is looking back to his best, and more players are getting in the box to support him. I think the draw at Man Utd was a big point and the team are taking confidence from these types of performances."

Harewood: 'Crucial' Paqueta cannot be dropped

Harewood was also pressed on the recent criticism star player Lucas Paqueta received for his performance in the painful 3-2 home defeat to Aston Villa.

A Morgan Rogers brace helped to turn the game around in Villa's favour after Nuno's side had led 2-1 at half-time, with Paqueta giving the ball away for one of Villa's goals.

The blame directed by fans towards the playmaker came just weeks after the Brazilian came under fire for the actions that led to him receiving a red card in the 2-0 loss at home to Liverpool. However, Nuno has been quick to defend Paqueta's performances.

Harewood was quick to play down the rumoured rift between player and manager. The former frontman was keen to point out that Paqueta is still an important player for the Hammers.

He stated, "It was a tough loss to take given the team played so well, took the lead twice and really tried to play on the front foot. Defensively, it’s so important to stay switched on – especially against top sides, which Villa are one of right now.

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"Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins are two top players; they don’t need a second chance to put the ball in the net, and it showed on the weekend. West Ham were good. They always tried to get forward and look to cause Villa problems, but ultimately, it wasn’t enough to get something out of the game.

"I understand the frustrations of Nuno and the team, but Paqueta is a key player for us and very creative, so he needs to be in the team. He has his flaws, but he’s also so crucial to them."

Hammers home and hosed?

The bookmakers are not quite as confident in West Ham's chances of avoiding relegation as Harewood appears to be. William Hill are offering 11/10 on the club to stay up this season.

Wolves are the clear favourites for relegation at 16/1 to stay up, with Burnley available at 7/1 to survive. Leeds are the main other potential candidates for the drop, and they are being priced at 4/11 to stay up this season.