Nuno Espirito Santo sack hint dropped as West Ham hit 'rock bottom'

Nuno Espirito Santo is facing fresh sack talk after West Ham United's dismal start to their Championship campaign.

Having been entrusted to guide West Ham back to the Premier League following relegation, Nuno hasn't gotten off to a great start with that task.

A 2-2 opening weekend draw with Burnley saw the Hammers throw away a two-goal lead at Turf Moor.

Things only turned sourer on Saturday though, as London rivals Charlton came to E20 and left with a 2-1 away victory, as Joel Piroe netted on his Irons debut.

Nathan Jones' side finished 19th in the Championship last season, and were a team that, respectfully, West Ham were expected to beat comfortably.

The fact that they didn't, in their 2026-27 home league debut no less, is cause for serious concern amongst many pundits and Irons fans alike.

What did Aaron McLean say about West Ham after Charlton defeat?

If Nuno can't find a way to arrest this slow start soon enough, it feels difficult to see him surviving in the West Ham dugout for much longer.

Charlton was a big reality check, not that anyone connected with the Hammers really needed one, that this season isn't going to be a walk in the park.

Speaking via BBC Sport, ex-professional striker-turned pundit Aaron McLean has already suggested that changes may need to be made imminently.

"I look at West Ham and think last season they were relegated because they weren't good enough," he said.

"They have come into the Championship, they almost need to hit rock bottom.

"I think they were very uninspiring against Burnley in their first game, but really that wasn't a test of what the Championship is going to be about.

"Today (Saturday) was a real test against an established Championship team who will fight for every ball.

"I know West Ham missed a penalty to get a point, but if you are West Ham at home in front of 62,000, you shouldn't need a penalty to try to salvage something.

"There needs to be huge improvements in the mentality and maybe the personnel if West Ham hope to have a good season."

So, how many more games should Nuno realistically be afforded to turn things around, and do they present a prime opportunity to do so?

Why Nuno doesn't have upcoming fixture schedule he'd ideally want

The Championship is a ruthless league, and West Ham are learning that they will be pretty much everyone's cup final this season.

But they shouldn't be flattered by that either, as this group of players must quickly come to terms with the fact they're not going to simply turn up and win.

Nuno knows what it takes to win promotion from this division, having done so with Wolves, and so he'll understand the challenge his side faces over the coming games.

A trip to Watford is the Hammers' next league game on 29 August, and Vicarage Road is renowned as one of the toughest places to go and get a result in this division.

Indeed, the Hornets won 37 of their 57 points at home last term, and have already beaten Southampton 2-1 on the opening day of the season.

Following that, fellow newly-relegated Wolves come to the London Stadium, and defeat against one of his former employers would be very damaging for Nuno too.

Then come Derby on 5 September, and the Rams come armed with a strong 2025-26 away record, winning as many games (10) on the road as they did at Pride Park.

So, these next three Championship fixtures are going to really test this West Ham group, as well as Nuno's credentials to keep his job.

Even so, if the Hammers don't emerge from this trio of games with more than four/five points, that might be enough for an early Nuno sacking.