Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Tue 26 May 2026 16:10, UK

West Ham United’s worst fears were realised on Sunday as they were relegated to the Championship.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side did their job on the day, securing a 3-0 win against Leeds, but it ultimately wasn’t enough, with Tottenham beating Everton 1-0.

As a result, the Hammers are now left scrambling ahead of the summer, with the club seemingly directionless.

Given the current state of the East London side, going down on the final day could be seen as the worst possible way to be relegated, if there were ever a choice in how to go.

Ahead of a crucial Championship season, the Irons look directionless, with no clear plans in place for what comes next.

West Ham left scrambling as Championship preparations begin

It has been a dismal year for the Irons, who were simply unable to pull away from the drop zone, despite a noticeable improvement since the turn of the year.

Each time survival looked a serious possibility, Nuno’s side would be dragged back into danger, before successive defeats against Arsenal and Newcastle left them in hope more than belief on the final day.

Since relegation was confirmed on Sunday, stories have continued to circulate, seemingly changing direction by the hour.

One minute, Nuno is said to be on the verge of losing his job; the next, the Hammers are reportedly keen for the Portuguese manager to stay.

At the same time, the futures of key players remain up in the air, while it is claimed that West Ham must raise around £150million through player sales over the summer.

Regardless of personal opinions on who should stay and who should go, the Irons are in an embarrassing position. They need to form a plan and stick to it, rather than continue with the current chaos.

And, for all intents and purposes, it almost feels as though relegation has caught West Ham off guard, despite spending nearly the entire campaign in the bottom three.

The simple fact now is that a plan needs to be devised – and it must be followed.

Fellow relegated sides carry immediate advantage over West Ham

Relegated on the final day of the season, the Hammers have spent months preparing and thinking about their Premier League future – something that still seemed a real possibility after the uptick in form in January.

Wolves and Burnley, on the other hand, have had significantly more time to get themselves ready for the second tier, with the former in particular making the most of their precarious predicament.

Tying star man Andre down to a new deal, bringing in Championship specialist Adam Armstrong in January, and having the time to hold fan forums and discuss the overall project, Wolves are in a different stratosphere of preparation compared to West Ham, who have simply not done enough in recent months to climb out of the drop zone.

Burnley, on the other hand, are Championship specialists, and it would come as no surprise to see the Clarets back fighting at the top next term.

As for the Hammers, they almost seem to have been taken by surprise by the situation, with stories only now coming to the fore regarding dressing-room bust-ups, while the futures of the manager and players remain up in the air.

Of course, West Ham have been disadvantaged by the lack of preparation time, but for now the signs point towards there being no contingency plan in place ahead of relegation, and the club needs to get a plan together quickly.