Nuno Espírito Santo has faced pressure before as a manager from the turbulence of Valencia to the intense expectations at Tottenham but the challenge now confronting him at West Ham United may be the biggest of his managerial career. He has been tasked with rescuing a team alarmingly short of identity, belief and points, and right now, the club’s Premier League future looks more fragile.
West Ham’s 2–1 defeat to Leeds United on Friday night ensured the Hammers’ worst start to a league campaign in 52 years. It also marked a third consecutive defeat under Nuno, who is still searching for his first win since replacing Graham Potter in September. His arrival was meant to stabilise a sinking side instead, the pressure and instability appear to be rising.
“So many things concern me, so many things,” Nuno admitted after the final whistle. “Our approach to defensive tasks, individual duels, our confidence, so many things. There’s enough [in the dressing room] and there’s time but it can only be possible if we change immediately.”
The frankness continued: “I’m worried since I arrived, so it’s not something that surprises me. We’re committed and embrace the challenge we have ahead of us. It’s a big, big one.”
But one critical factor lies beyond the dugout: the mood in the stands – or, more tellingly, the empty patches where fans chose not to sit. West Ham have already sacked one manager this season, and sacking another would be an embarrassment for the club, but many visiting the bookies and betting on horse racing are also tipping the Hammers to change manager once again.
In their last home game against Brentford, pockets of empty seats at the London Stadium spoke loudly of a fanbase in revolt. This was not apathy but an organised protest. Supporters’ group Hammers United has escalated demonstrations against club owners David Sullivan and Karren Brady, calling for both to step aside after 15 turbulent years.
Their grievances run deeper than poor results. For many fans, the move from the beloved Boleyn Ground to the former Olympic Stadium – sold as a gateway to the “next level” – has instead detached the club from its roots. The sprawling arena, with a capacity exceeding 62,000, lacks the hostile, tightly-packed atmosphere that once made Upton Park notorious. The distance from pitch to fans, widened by the athletics track, leaves supporters in the upper tiers feeling disconnected, physically and emotionally, from the action.
The team’s Premier League collapse this season has only amplified frustrations. Fans don’t just fear relegation; they fear that the soul of West Ham has been lost in the pursuit of modern growth.
The irony of West Ham’s only win this season coming against Nottingham Forest – when Nuno himself was in the Forest hotseat – further underlines the unusual set of circumstances.
Previously, at Wolves, his structured, spirited football earned admiration across the league, which he was able to take to another level at Forest by leading them into European competition for the first time in decades.
Now, at West Ham, he must summon that same magic, but with far greater urgency and far thinner margins for error.
The fixture list offers little mercy with a strong Newcastle United side next up for the Hammers, and confidence – among players and supporters alike – appears to be at rock bottom.
Nuno’s calmness, clarity and tactical discipline are exactly why he was appointed. Although West Ham hired him to restore order, his main priority is to deliver survival.
If he succeeds, this could become one of the defining success stories of his managerial career. However, if he fails, West Ham’s fall – on and off the pitch under their current owners- could become irreversible, with an exit for all parties being the only way to fix their current malaise.