(Credit: Manh Tung, Breaking Media/BeIN Sports YouTube channel)
(Credit: Manh Tung, Breaking Media/BeIN Sports YouTube channel)

Richard Keys: 'Only a matter of time' before Nuno exit at West Ham after what David Sullivan's done

Evan Halliday

Evan graduated with a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Lancashire in July 2025. During university, he volunteered at England's Amputee Football Association before taking on the role as head of media for the charity. Now, a club sites writer for Breaking Media as of September 2025.

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West Ham swapped Graham Potter for Nuno Espirito Santo ahead of their away trip to Everton on Monday night.

Potter could've been sacked at the London Stadium months ago, with his tenure at West Ham never really getting off the ground.

West Ham's 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace ultimately spelled the end for the Englishman's time in charge.

Now, it is Nuno's turn to take charge of West Ham after he was dismissed by Nottingham Forest earlier in the season, but Richard Keys is already expecting his departure to come sooner rather than later.

Nuno Espirito Santo rubbing his hands together as Nottingham Forest manager
Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked by Forest following an alleged fallout with the board (Credit: Imago)

Richard Keys struggles to see when things will change

The London Stadium will welcome its third manager since the start of last season, as both Julen Lopetegui and Potter have come and gone in just over 12 months.

Writing on his blog on Monday, beIN SPORTS broadcaster Keys said he believes the writing is on the wall for Nuno in London given the way David Sullivan and Karren Brady have treated previous managers, most recently Potter.

"Good luck to Nuno. He’s going to need it at West Ham," he said. Nuno will eventually regret ever having taken the job. It’s only a matter of time before he leaves, saying exactly the same things about Brady and Sullivan as all the other coaches they’ve abused."

It's not just the former and current managers Keys worries about.

"I genuinely feel sorry for West Ham fans. Coaches will continue to come and go through the revolving door there, and the club will remain a mess behind the scenes," he added.

"You could do something about those things, but what they can’t change is the fact that they play in an athletics arena. Hammers fans were sold a dream, but in reality, it’s a nightmare."

West Ham manager Time in charge
Graham Potter9 months
Julen Lopetegui6 months
David Moyes4 years 4 months
Manuel Pellegrini 1 year 7 months
David Moyes6 months

Just one of the Irons' last five appointments has made it through two full seasons, with David Moyes needing a second spell at the club to make it work.

West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan touching his glasses
Richard Keys slams West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan (Credit: Imago)

Nuno needs to take advantage of new manager bounce

Things began to turn sour toward the end of Potter's reign, as the fans had seen enough and were ready for change.

A difficult away trip to visit a familiar face in Moyes might not have been Nuno's preferred start, but a good performance and maybe even three points would go a long way in endearing himself to the crowd.

However, Arsenal and Manchester City make up the remainder of Nuno's first three fixtures, so a win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium may be vital for the Portuguese manager to capture any good feeling around the club.

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