Following a defeat to Wolves—who registered their first Premier League win of the season—and with an average of just 0.70 points per game and a win rate of 13% since replacing Graham Potter in September, Nuno Espírito Santo now finds himself facing the axe at West Ham.
Despite receiving the dreaded vote of confidence from the board, there are growing indications that the club are preparing to appoint Slaven Bilic as interim manager until the end of the season, after which they will reassess their long‑term plans.
After the Wolves defeat, a source at the club said: “Let’s not kid ourselves, we were very poor today!”
Shell shocked: Nuno is under huge pressure
Bilic, Maresca or Carrick? West Ham consider options
Bilic had expressed an interest in the head coach role previously, and talks did take place.
Claret & Hugh were informed at the time that one board member was pushing hard for his appointment.
The board may be quietly hoping that Nuno is willing to walk away from his reported two-year contract—thus avoiding compensation believed to be in the region of £6.75m. Yet this appears unlikely, despite him looking visibly shaken, subdued and deeply embarrassed as the game unfolded at Molineux.
Sporting Director Mark Noble, who has kept a notably low profile this season, is acutely aware that former West Ham assistant Enzo Maresca is now available after leaving Chelsea. Ex-teammate Michael Carrick is also seeking a managerial role.
Maresca was highly regarded at West Ham and masterminded a 1-0 away victory against Chelsea in 2019 when he took over training in the lead-up to the game, while working under Manuel Pellegrini. Chelsea wanted to play through the middle, yet the Hammers pushed them wide and gave few chances away.
Reflecting on his time at West Ham, Maresca said last year: “It was a very good experience. Also with the club to be honest, with the owners, and with all the people involved in the club, it was fantastic.”
Former West Ham Coach is Well Regarded
Maresca remains highly rated in football circles and, having won the UEFA Europa Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup at Chelsea, is already being earmarked as Pep Guardiola’s successor should he leave Manchester City.
Carrick would be seen as a gamble by the West Ham board, but may be persuaded to join as an assistant to Slaven Bilic, who the bookies have as a firm favourite at 5/4.
Despite West Ham’s fragile league position, there are still plenty of points to play for. However, a defeat on Tuesday to Nottingham Forest would open up a seven-point gap between the sides.
Billic comes in we are down
I know we like bookies as sponsors but as hiring advisers. Whatever the bookies think, hiring Bilic back would just be extending the line of consecutive useless coaching choices to four. As I have said before, use what resources we have to find someone fit for purpose. Whoever approved the last three appointments needs to have no further say in the matter. In fact, they should quietly leave the club, never to return.
On yesterday evidence was it a one off or has Nuno lost the players, the Forest game is huge for points but also on how the team proforms, a repeat of the Wolves game and he has to go, some of his team selections and substitution have been terrible, and continues to pick the useless Kilman and Paqueta
Don’t you think the other players think the same thing
and think what the hell is he doing
I think we need to shut off all the negative writing about us and get behind Nuno and the team and show how much we really care about this club. I know morale is low not only for Nuno and the team but the fans are gutted at what is happening to this once wonderful club. So I am saying to the players, just get it there against Forest and fight for us, you are the only ones that can turn this around.Bowen start making some noise, encourage these layers to lift their heads high and play as if they care. If you put in some fight we will be behind you and the results and confidence will come back.
Nuno you must not leave new players sat on the bench. I am sure they have come to help the club survive, they have been playing regular football for their clubs. The big mistake against Wolves was not using Pepe he would if maybe have got the team going a bit, we do not have time to bed them in.Where are the defenders we desperately need now??????
@Sue. If we shut off all the negative writing right now then what is there to talk about! We are sh*te!
BTW, who is this Pepe bloke you’re talking about? I must have missed that one. They could have brought on Pablo in place of Callum Wilson though.
I’ve always questioned how good a former goalkeeper can be at coaching a team . Nuno had success at Wolves and Forest when he was properly backed but under pressure he seems to crumble . With this BS Board he won’t be properly backed and so the task is impossible for him and so perhaps it’s time for him to go .
All media talk as per the usual transfer window nonsense.
For what it’s worth, Bilic lovely geezer and all, was never and isn’t the answer, neither is Carrick.
If our board of genii is disposed to throw more money away on compensation, as well as yet another manager, and let’s be honest nobody would ever put anything past them, Maresca is never going to take a fatally poisoned chalice. So Noble as a head figure with existing coaching staff as a stop gap would halt the flow of yet more money on the ‘wasted managers pot’.
Why bother though? We have officially one, potentially after yesterday two, forwards requested by a manager that was never going to rip up trees, but is the best current realistic option. Unless that is, he himself actually wants out.
The shortsightedness of our board knows no bounds. Absolutely no footballing knowledge whatsoever, which is why we are in this mess. Bilic nice bloke but not good enough only suited to international management. Carrick has done nothing at the clubs he has been to. Maresca would not touch us with a barge poll and has the ring of a Pelligrini style appointment. He hasn’t been brilliant at Chelsea with all their riches. We need to adopt the method that Brighton Bournemouth and Brentford have adopted. Most of their manager before they join have unheard of and replaced managers that were thought to be irreplaceable. Frank, and Howe (I won’t include Potter in that group) and done as well if not better than their predecessors. But instead with this board we get these choices of out of work managers or old West Ham players who have managed. Ground hog day all over again.
Once your players stop playing for you the writing is on the wall.A repeat against Forest and it is hard to see him survive.
Bring in micky mouse
Your deluded what world do you live in to think Maresca would ever join us . 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
What’s the point of sacking Nuno to appoint a loser like Bilic ?
Only West Ham can sack a bloke and re-employ him, even if it is until end of season, as if he’s gonna save us, lol !
That will just about rubber stamp our relegation……
One Board member is a fan – yeah it’s Sullivan we all know that.
The bloke who knows as much about football as I know about the Lunar Landscape.
When the board assess their options at the end of the season, there is only one – RESIGN, THE LOT OF YOU – WE’VE HAD ENOUGH !!