Paul Merson makes next West Ham manager shout live on Sky Sports as ‘problem’ arises
Paul Merson highlighted a “problem” West Ham United face as doubts continue to grow over manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
David Sullivan is standing by under-fire boss Nuno for now, with West Ham facing a huge clash against Tottenham on Saturday afternoon.
Morale is at an “all-time low” at West Ham right now as the Hammers desperately attempt to save their Premier League status.
The appointment of Paco Jemez to West Ham’s coaching staff suggests Nuno will be given a bit more time, but defeat to Spurs would certainly not help his cause.
Speaking ahead of West Ham’s crunch showdown with Spurs, Merson shared his thoughts on the situation.
West Ham can’t sack Nuno Espirito Santo unless replacement is lined up
West Ham find themselves seven points from safety heading into the meeting with London rivals Tottenham.
A toxic atmosphere can be expected at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with home fans themselves disgruntled with the running of their club.
While there are plenty of question marks regarding the future of Nuno, though, Merson does not believe he should be sacked unless a replacement is already lined up.
“If you change the manager, who’s going to come in? That’s the problem,” Merson said on Sky Sports News on Saturday.
“Especially West Ham – if you lose this game you need to make sure someone is lined up. You can’t play a Premier League game next week without a manager – it wouldn’t be right. So unless they’re doing something behind the scenes…”
West Ham follow up their trip to Tottenham with a home clash against Sunderland next Saturday.
Who are most likely candidates to replace Nuno at West Ham?
Sullivan will surely already have plans in place should Nuno be sacked, or perhaps that is giving the West Ham chief too much credit.
Michael Carrick was considered a frontrunner to replace Nuno not so long ago, but he is now in caretaker charge of Manchester United.
| Games | 17 |
| Wins | 3 |
| Draws | 5 |
| Losses | 9 |
| Win rate | 17.65% |
Former West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is another name that has been widely mentioned, while Frank Lampard – much to the annoyance of plenty of fans – has also been mooted.
Whoever it is that replaces Nuno – and he will be replaced before long – they will need to hit the ground running.
West Ham are running out of time to turn their campaign around, and it is abundantly clear that Nuno is not the right man for the job.
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