West Ham United's hierarchy is growing increasingly doubtful about manager Nuno Espírito Santo's capacity to steer the club away from the Premier League's relegation zone. The discontent has been compounded by the Portuguese coach's demeanour immediately after Monday's painful 2-1 defeat to his former club, Nottingham Forest.
Post-match conduct causes upset at London Stadium
Figures within the East London club were dismayed to see Nuno smiling and embracing several Forest players on the pitch at full-time. The manager was pictured with former charges including Morato and Morgan Gibbs-White, whose 89th-minute winner sealed the victory for Forest.
This late collapse left West Ham a concerning seven points behind 17th-placed Forest. While it is acknowledged that Nuno retained a strong rapport with many Forest players from his tenure at the City Ground, the club felt his very public reunions were ill-timed. The view internally was that he should have waited until he was away from television cameras and the view of disappointed supporters.
Mounting pressure after dismal run of form
The incident has intensified scrutiny on Nuno's precarious position. He has secured just two victories in 16 matches since replacing Graham Potter in September, and the team is now on a run of 10 games without a win. Sources indicate that staff and players at the club's training ground are becoming increasingly demoralised, with concerns over tactics and man-management eroding the manager's support within the squad.
Some at the club believe Nuno should have been dismissed after last weekend's 3-0 thrashing at Wolves. The ultimate decision rests with majority shareholder David Sullivan, who is understood to be deeply unhappy with the current situation. However, sacking Nuno would mean paying off a third manager in just 12 months, following the brief tenures of Potter and Julen Lopetegui.
January signings fail to stem the tide
In a bid to back their manager, the West Ham board sanctioned significant spending during the January transfer window to bolster the attack. The club committed up to £47m on forwards Pablo Felipe from Gil Vicente and Taty Castellanos from Lazio.
The fee for Pablo, in particular, raised eyebrows. The 22-year-old joined for a base fee of €21m (£18.2m) plus add-ons, despite having moved to Gil Vicente for only €250,000 in July 2024. Both signings were personally advocated for by Nuno. In a related move, veteran striker Callum Wilson is in talks to terminate his contract by mutual consent.
A critical week ahead for Nuno's future
The coming days could be decisive for Nuno's tenure at the London Stadium. West Ham host Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup third round on Sunday before a crucial league trip to Tottenham the following Saturday. Sources close to the club believe a defeat at Spurs could spell the end for the manager, with former boss Slaven Bilic already being linked with a potential return.
With the club's top-flight status in serious jeopardy, patience with Nuno Espírito Santo is wearing dangerously thin, both in the boardroom and among the fanbase.
