Nuno Espírito Santo has issued an apology to West Ham United fans following their crushing 3-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Saturday. The loss, which saw West Ham concede three first-half goals, has deepened the club's relegation concerns and placed Espírito Santo under increased pressure.

The result leaves West Ham sitting 18th in the Premier League, four points adrift of safety. The defeat was particularly painful as it came against a Wolves side that had not won a single game all season prior to this match. Goals from Jhon Arias, Hwang Hee-chan, and Mateus Mané condemned the Hammers to a chastening defeat.

"We are disappointed, we are sad, frustrated, and we should apologise," Espírito Santo said. "We should apologise to our fans that travelled, those that are at home and saw a very poor performance." He described the first half as "embarrassing" and stated that it was the worst performance the team had put in.

The West Ham manager, who only took charge in September, acknowledged the need for immediate reflection and improvement. "It was something that nobody expected, but something that has to make us think and reflect [on] the situation that we are in," he said. "We need to see effort, we need to see reaction, we need to see character, we need to see many things."

Espírito Santo also alluded to squad issues and the club's efforts to strengthen the team during the January transfer window. West Ham recently signed forward Pablo Felipe from Gil Vicente, and the manager confirmed that work is ongoing to bring in further reinforcements. "The Club is working because we need to rebalance our squad," he explained. "We have problems in many positions that require to be [addressed]."

Despite the severity of the defeat, Espírito Santo insisted that there is still time to turn things around. "There are still lots of points [to play for]," he said. "There's a lot of football to be played, [but] it's about realising that we cannot repeat these kinds of performances."

The pressure is mounting on Espírito Santo, with some suggesting his job could be at risk. However, the manager is focused on the immediate challenge of improving the team's performances and securing vital points. "It's not about my future, it's about how can we get out of this situation, how can we improve and get the results that make us climb the table," he stated.

West Ham face a crucial home game against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, a team directly above them in the league standings. Espírito Santo has called on his players to show the necessary character to produce a much-improved performance and result.

Meanwhile, Wolves manager Rob Edwards celebrated his first win in nine games as boss.