West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo has emphasized the need for his team to begin taking the initiative earlier in matches if they aim to challenge for the top spot in the Championship this season. The Hammers have the opportunity to reach first place with a victory over Queens Park Rangers at the London Stadium on Friday night.

Nuno, who was named Manager of the Month for September, reflected on his team’s recent performances, including a comeback from two goals down against QPR earlier this campaign. He acknowledged the quality of the opposition and noted that West Ham’s previous experience facing QPR would be an advantage, despite the evolving nature of the squad.

“It’s helpful we played them last season. Of course, it’s always new, but we have some knowledge and we know it’s going to be tough,” Nuno said. He also pointed to a key lesson drawn from their recent defeat to Millwall: the need to start games more proactively. “We are reacting, but we want to be the first team to act. We’re preparing and we’ll be ready to go,” he added.

In addition to the match focus, West Ham plans to pay tribute to former goalkeeper Ludek Miklosko prior to kick-off. Miklosko passed away last month at the age of 64 after battling cancer. Although Nuno did not know Miklosko personally, he acknowledged the goalkeeper’s lasting impact on the club and expressed hope that the tribute would appropriately honor his legacy.

The match against QPR represents a pivotal moment for West Ham as they seek to consolidate their strong start to the season and build momentum in the tightly contested Championship table.