Nuno sack round-up: Everything West Ham fans need to know about managerial change
Nuno Espirito Santo is on borrowed time as West Ham manager following their damaging 2-1 defeat against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night.
The Hammers went into the clash at the London Stadium knowing that only a win would suffice in their battle to avoid relegation.
West Ham entered the clash four points adrift of Nottingham Forest, and Sean Dyche’s men increased that gap to seven after Nicolas Dominguez and Morgan Gibbs-White cancelled out Murillo’s 13th-minute own goal.
It was a late Gibbs-White penalty that saw fans flood out in their thousands from an already empty stadium, with many questioning when the trigger would be pulled on Nuno’s time in East London.
Nuno Espirito Santo sack latest: What we already know
Heading into their relegation six-pointer, Nuno apparently had one game to save his West Ham job, and after losing by a one-goal deficit, many expected him to be dismissed at full-time.
Nuno was dejected in his post-match interview, perhaps already accepting his fate, but it appears the Hammers hierarchy are in no immediate rush to relieve him of his duties.
A report from BBC Sport on Wednesday morning suggested David Sullivan is willing to back Nuno in the meantime after completing two signings already this month.
Taty Castellanos and Pablo were capturing for over £40million combined from Lazio and Gil Vicente, respectively, with both making their debuts against Forest.
In that sense, Sullivan is reluctant to relieve Nuno of his duties after signing two players he wanted, and according to Sky Sports, they are expected to stick with the Portuguese for now despite a 10-match winless run.
The report claims that the board felt the performance against Forest was an improvement and showed a positive reaction from the 3-0 defeat to Wolves.
| Managers since David Moyes | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals for/against |
| Julen Lopetegui | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 26/44 |
| Graham Potter | 25 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 30/41 |
| Nuno Espirito Santo | 16 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 17/30 |
Who could replace Nuno at West Ham?
The Hammers hierarchy have placed themselves in a difficult position after backing Nuno with reinforcements, as it feels only a matter of time before he’s shown the door, especially if the winless run continues.
Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony has urged West Ham to appoint Russell Martin as the 51-year-old’s replacement, and that wouldn’t go down well with the fanbase.
🗣️ "I'm going to throw this out there, it's a mad one…"
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 7, 2026
Peterborough owner Darragh MacAnthony discusses what he sees as West Ham United's options with the club currently seven points off safety in the Premier League table. #SkySportsFC pic.twitter.com/AVU1KrPHYq
Martin was most recently sacked by Rangers after a disastrous tenure, while his time at Southampton was a mixed bag despite winning promotion.
West Ham have also been linked with former boss Slaven Bilic, who is currently out of work and available, although several fans surely feel that is a backwards step.
Meanwhile, other names, such as Scott Parker and Michael Carrick, have been mooted for a return to the Hammers, but it remains to be seen which candidate is the strongest contender.
Stay up to date this winter with our West Ham transfer tracker. Click to see every done deal at the London Stadium, plus expert reaction from our team of writers.