West Ham United have sacked Nuno Espírito Santo after successive home defeats left the club eighth in the Championship, 13 games into their attempt to return to the Premier League.
The Portuguese head coach departed on Tuesday, 3 November, following Saturday’s 3–1 defeat by West Bromwich Albion at the London Stadium. That result came a week after a 3–2 home loss to Southampton and increased the pressure on a manager who had been retained despite relegation last season.
In an official statement, West Ham said the board had reviewed the start of the Championship campaign and decided that “a change is necessary at this time” to keep the club’s ambitions on track.
Assistant head coach Rui Pedro Silva and goalkeeping coach Rui Barbosa have also left. West Ham thanked all three for their work and confirmed that the search for a new head coach is under way.
Promotion ambitions put Nuno under pressure
Nuno took over from Graham Potter in September 2025 but was unable to prevent West Ham dropping out of the Premier League. The club decided to keep him in charge for the 2026–27 season, hoping that continuity would help deliver an immediate return to the top flight.
The campaign began promisingly, and, as Reuters reported, Nuno was named the Championship’s manager of the month for September. But West Ham have struggled to maintain that momentum. They have won six of their opening 13 league matches and sit eighth, outside the play-off places, with their hopes of automatic promotion already under pressure.
The defeats to Southampton and West Brom exposed concerns about the team’s defending. West Ham conceded six goals across those two games, and supporters expressed their frustration during the loss to Albion. Nuno acknowledged that the performance was poor in his post-match assessment.
His departure comes little more than a year after his appointment and leaves West Ham looking for another manager during a period of significant change following relegation.
Who takes charge against Cardiff?
Mark Noble, Steve Potts and Gerard Prenderville will take temporary charge of preparations for Wednesday’s Championship fixture away to Cardiff City. Kick-off is scheduled for 7.45pm.
Former West Ham midfielder Scott Parker has emerged as a leading candidate for the permanent position. The Guardian reports that the club is poised to appoint Parker, who previously led Fulham, Bournemouth and Burnley to promotion from the Championship. West Ham have not yet formally announced his appointment.
After Cardiff, the Hammers travel to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, 7 November. Those fixtures offer an immediate test for whoever leads the side, with the club seeking to close the gap on the automatic promotion places rather than settle for a play-off challenge.
West Ham’s decision reflects the urgency of that objective. They backed Nuno after relegation, but a run of disappointing home results has persuaded the board to change direction before the season reaches its halfway point.
