Nuno Espirito Santo sack latest on Wednesday morning as West Ham hierarchy now ‘desperate’
West Ham United are staring directly at Premier League relegation.
Nottingham Forest beat West Ham 2-1 on Tuesday night, extending their gap over the Hammers to seven points at the bottom of the Premier League.
An own goal from Murillo gave West Ham a 13th-minute lead, but in a watershed moment in the match, Crysencio Summerville saw an effort ruled out for offside just minutes into the second half.
Then came the big turning point, as Nico Dominguez looped home an equalising header only minutes after that controversy.
Forest were awarded a penalty with minutes to go after Alphonse Areola collided with Morgan Gibbs-White, which Tony Harrington awarded after VAR intervention for the latest dreaded defeat.
Nuno Espirito Santo sack update made
After the full-time whistle, Nuno Espirito Santo appeared dejected in his interview, and almost as though he was resigned to his West Ham fate.
For many Hammers supporters, the writing very much feels as though it’s on the wall, and calls for a change in the dugout in an attempt to salvage the situation are only growing louder.
However, in a fresh update delivered by BBC Sport’s senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel via X on Wednesday morning, David Sullivan looks set to stick by Nuno for the time being.
“Nuno Espirito Santo’s position as West Ham head coach is heavily under the microscope,” said Mokbel.
“The club’s hierarchy are desperate to make Nuno’s appointment a success. They are actively backing him in the transfer market. So to pull the rug from under him, having made signings on the manager’s recommendation, would seem nonsensical.
“But the threat of relegation can radically change the direction of travel.”
- Read more: Richard Keys immediately posts old image of West Ham fans after latest Premier League defeat
David Sullivan must go all-in on Nuno this month
So, with it appearing as though Nuno is somewhat secure in his role at the London Stadium, Sullivan must splash the cash.
It’s undoubtedly a brave call, and will see him go against the wishes of the majority of West Ham supporters, and so he’s not giving himself any room for failure if it doesn’t work.
- West Ham’s next three Premier League games are Tottenham (A), Sunderland (H) and Chelsea (A)
- West Ham haven’t been in the Championship since 2011-12
- Nuno has won two, drawn five and lost nine of his 16 league games in charge at the London Stadium
With Pablo and Valentin Castellanos now through the door, the centre-forward position has been bolstered significantly, but with both players unproven in English football, they do have a boom-or-bust feel to them.
West Ham have conceded 43 goals this season, and so if Nuno is to guide the Hammers to survival, then Sullivan must accommodate some quality new arrivals in defence.
So, if Sullivan is sticking with Nuno, then he must be seen throwing every last resource he can spare to give his manager the best possible chance, as if not, then fans will rightly question why he was spared the West Ham axe.
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