As a die-hard West Ham fan who’s been through the highs of European glory and the lows of relegation scraps and ultimately relegation, I was excited when Nuno Espírito Santo took over the reins back in September 2025 to see what he could deliver us.
After Graham Potter’s short-lived stint fizzled out, we needed someone with Premier League nous, and Nuno’s track record at Wolves and Forest screamed solid appointment. Although once again that perhaps only came about because we refused to pay compensation fees to work with any in-form managers.
A Bright Start Fades Away
Fast-forward to January 2026, and it’s been a mixed bag at best – and that’s being kind. Let’s break it down.
Nuno walked into a squad that was already massively under performing and leaking goals left, right and centre. His first order of business? Shore up that defence and inject some fight. We saw glimpses of his signature style right away – the lads looked organised, and his initial game against Everton it looked like he would fix things quickly. A decent performance against Arsenal then followed and it gave some hope.
The Wheels Come Off
Fast-forward a few months, and the wheels have come off. Since Nuno’s arrival, our Premier League form has been nothing short of shocking. Take the recent 3-0 drubbing at Wolves – Nuno’s old club which further rubbed salt in the wound.
The performance was flat, lifeless, with just one shot on target, and the boos at full-time said it all. Nuno himself called it “embarrassing,” and as a fan, I couldn’t agree more. This was then followed by a must-win game loss against Nottingham Forest.
Questionable Tactics and Selection Calls
We’ve shipped goals for fun, and this hasn’t been fixed during Nuno’s time. His team selections have been questionable and some of the games almost thrown away as a result. Some of his ultra negative stances when winning games – most notably Bournemouth away – have also made me have my doubts.
If you also throw in his treatment of James Ward-Prowse and more recently Callum Wilson, then I get the calls from some to replace him.
The Bigger Picture: Recruitment and Youth
That said, we can’t keep blaming the manager. There has to be a bigger overall reflection. Quite simply our recruitment on the whole has been terrible recently and Nuno has had to pick up the pieces.
One positive that can also be said that Nuno has over his predecessors is that he has given our academy lads a chance which was often a criticism of the previous managers.
Conclusion: Is Survival Still Possible?
There is still a long way to go in this season and whilst most have accepted our fate as relegation, we have got out of worse situations before.
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