There is a saying, hindsight is 20/20, which means it’s easy to see what should have been done in the past, though it wasn’t obvious at the time. Going into the 2025/26 season with a manager who had previously orchestrated a win ratio of just 26.32% and finished 14th—a position that cost his predecessor Julen Lopetegui his job—was always going to raise eyebrows.
Graham Potter then stuck with an ageing midfield that was overrun, failed to solve the ongoing issue of defending set pieces, publicly claimed he didn’t need a striker, and allowed highly regarded goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero to leave. He was replaced by Casper Ankergren and Linus Kandolin, whose recommendation of Mads Hermansen was followed by the new keeper conceding eleven goals in four games.
Defensive Blunders and a Managerial Gamble
Whoever played between the sticks this season for West Ham was going to be a busy keeper. Alphonse Areola has faced a high volume of shots—5.05 per 90 minutes—but with a save percentage of 66.7%, he ranks mid-table among Premier League goalkeepers, a respectable enough stat.
Yet it underlines the glaring need for stronger defensive cover. A low-ball summer bid for Charlie Cresswell at Toulouse was swiftly rejected and has now proved to be a costly mistake.
Appointing Nuno—a defensive manager—without allowing him to bring in his own backroom staff was a bizarre decision. That’s since been partially rectified, though whether it’s too little, too late remains to be seen.
Paco Jémez has finally joined Nuno at West Ham
So far, he hasn’t helped his own cause—playing players out of position, freezing others out, and leaving the team leaderless are all major concerns. But sadly, that mirrors his managerial track record.
The finger-pointing has already started. The players must be accountable. The managers have jobs to do. Potter failed. Nuno’s stats suggest he’s fortunate to still be in post.
Yet towering over all this is the board. They are now firmly in the spotlight. Mistakes have been made, and the cost of those errors could have a major impact on their investment—and ultimately the club’s future.
If the worst happens, they’ll claim they backed the manager in the January transfer window and that the signings were his picks. The new backroom staff? Also his.
With recent managerial moves—Michael Carrick to Manchester United (interim) and Gary O’Neil joining Strasbourg—the board’s options are dwindling fast.
In the end, we’ll soon find out whether the board acted decisively enough—or fatally too late.
Seems like we need to sack the manager, coaches, players and kit manager. Get rid of our owners and supporters. Then bring in Frank Lampard’s Coventry lock, stock and barrel. Rid ourselves of the hated London Stadium and fall in love with our new home at the Ricoh.
We could all live happily ever after, Matt. The West Ham Cooperative. Power to the people.
COYComrades.
Some good posts on here, and what Ant says is bang on the money – if by some miracle we stay up what happens next season under Sullivan ? No money to spend in the Summer because we spent it all in January – so we simply aim for the limit of Sullivan’s ambitions, 4th from bottom. Absolutely no point in this club being in the Prem’ under this clown and the rest of his incompetents.
Agree with Timbo, Nuno has been hung out to dry by Sullivan & co.
Yes, some of his formations / substitutions are questionable, but he was left a pile of s***e !
Nuno has to stay until the end of the season for me. Sacking him isn’t going to keep us up. If anything, despite what the win rate suggests, we have improved in many areas and younger players are gaining experience, which will help us in the long run. We should try to be positive, get behind the manager and the team (forget about the board on match days as I don’t think the protests are helping the team – remember it’s not their fault the board are incompetent). Hopefully things can turn around soon. Attacking players are starting to find form and a higher press takes pressure of our defence. A win against the spuds and Forest losing this weekend and we’re very much in the race for survival. COME ON YOU IRONS!!!!
Agree with you, Matthew! 👍
The article is laid out nice and clear. The board are the source of all the problems and they cannot deflect or absolve themselves of any blame. Too many managers, backroom staff and players have been moved on but still the lack of progression promised all those years ago just hasn’t materialised. We are a ridicule club now, and it is all down to the owners, mainly Sullivan.
I’m a lifelong fan in my 50s with a wealth of friends and family who are also fans. We all agree that if the club go down, then it’s not a bad thing. We just cannot compete in the Premier league to the level Sullivan thinks he can. Chasing the title, Champions League or at least a strong cup and Euro campaign requires holding on to the best players or investing with a strong stable football acumen. None of this Sullivan has or can do. It is not that we think we are better than what we are, it is the promises and the lies that we expect to be delivered. Forget all this be careful what you wish for, all the fans have ever wanted is change. We have too many embarrassing events at our club that make us look pathetic.
If by some miracle Wear Ham stay up, then the real concern is if Sullivan stays as nothing will change. If we go down then Sullivan is likely to sell at less than his inflated ego wants. We can rebuild, invest in training and invest in the academy. The club will endure as long as Sullivan leaves.
It’s one of life’s greatest mysteries that Sullivan, an ex-adult entertainment “entrepreneur”, has managed to become a billionaire owner of a Premier League football club.
In short (no pun intended), he appears to be utterly incompetent. He seems to be about as savvy as a garden slug. He’s as slimy as one, too.
As for Baroness Brady, she’s managed to blag a career as a supposed genius business guru without anything of note to back it up.
Again, there are serious question marks around her level of competence. I really don’t think she’s any good, and she seems very unlikeable as well with her cold and soulless personality.
We all get very bored and tired of saying this, but they’re completely out of their depth and they need to leave and pass the club onto serious businesspeople who know what they’re doing.
Of course, they’ve no interest in selling as all they’re bothered about is making money off the club. So, there’ll be no choice but to force them out.
We are probably doomed but I don’t believe in all this slagging off of Nuno. How can he be judged before he has been given the chance to mould the squad in a transfer window and now he has the added problem (which Potter did not have) of attracting players to a likely stint in the Championship. He did well at Wolves and Forest. Failed at Spurs but then so is the previously highly rated Thomas Frank. He inherited one of the worse defences in the league, a Brazilian playmaker who pines for home and a old injury prone strike force. We all know who is really to blame for this mess and it ain’t Nuno.
And it’s odds on that it’ll be that the board has acted too late. Again. West Ham and incompetence seem to go together. Unfortunately.
In the end, it could turn out to be none of those things other than pure luck.
I find it hard to get any enthusiasm up for this team of ours.. I’ll never hope for relegation but can’t help laughing now it looks nailed on. Laughing at Sully and lady muck now there’s nowhere to hide, their pals in the press are turning on them and everyone can see how utterly incompetent they are.. both genuine figures of ridicule. All of which we’ve been saying for years. ” be carefull what you wish for ” eh?
Well Jim White Richard Keyes Andy Gray and many more we didn’t wish for these two utterly incompetents did we. And before anyone has a pop at me I’m 69. Lived half a mile from Upton Park ( Humberstone rd. Google it) and have been going sincex1960 ish I’d back my attendance record home and away and in europe against most. I’ve earned the right to say exactly what I feel.
Lastly … that ain’t my West Ham
Ps can’t wait for the financial figures