Sports (Parliament Politics Magazine) – West Ham United have appointed Nuno Espírito Santo as manager following the sacking of Graham Potter, marking a swift change in leadership.
Nuno, who was fired by Nottingham Forest earlier in the season, signed a three-year deal with the Premier League underdogs and will coach Everton for the first time on Monday.
The Hammers’ decline to second bottom of the table made Potter’s departure, which occurred just nine months after his hiring, all but inevitable.
“I am very pleased to be here and very proud to be representing West Ham United,”
Nuno, 51, said.
“My objective is to work hard to get the very best from the team and ensure that we are as competitive as we possibly can be.
The work has already started and I am looking forward to the challenge that is ahead.”
Three weeks ago, Nuno, the former manager of Tottenham and Wolves, was fired by Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis following a disagreement between the two over the club’s transfer policy.
Nuno had received recognition for leading Forest to seventh place in the Premier League last season, which allowed them to play in Europe for the first time in thirty years.
Before departing for a tumultuous 17-match stint at Tottenham that ended in dismissal, the Portuguese coach made an impression at Wolves as well, helping to propel them into the top flight.
Potter only managed three points from West Ham’s five league games this season, and the team lost to Wolves in the League Cup.
Potter, who lost five of West Ham’s six games this season, was relieved of his duties less than 24 hours after holding his usual pre-match press conference on Friday.
“Results and performances over the course of the second half of last season and the start of the 2025/26 season have not matched expectations,”
West Ham said in a statement.
“The board of directors believe that a change is necessary in order to help improve the team’s position in the Premier League as soon as possible.”
Potter took over for David Moyes, now the manager of Everton, after Julen Lopetegui left after just 22 games, and he won just six of his 25 West Ham games.
Potter spent a lot of money during the summer transfer window on eight new players, but West Ham had a terrible start to the season.
Last month’s 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest offered some relief, but West Ham lost to Tottenham by the same score following the international break, and the Palace defeat signaled the end of his miserable tenure as manager.
Potter implied that he thought he should have been given more time in a statement issued shortly after his termination.
“I am incredibly disappointed to be leaving West Ham United Football Club, particularly without being able to achieve what we set out to achieve at the start of our journey in East London,”
said Potter, who lasted less than seven months before being axed as Chelsea boss in 2023.
“I do however fully acknowledge that the results have just not been good enough up to now.”
How have West Ham fans reacted to Potter’s sacking and Nuno’s appointment?
Several supporters reported feelings of frustration and disappointment over Potter’s time, citing results and lack of progress. Some criticized the timing of his sacking and the handling of it by the board, saying it was badly handled and that they thought the board were poorly managing the club on a wider scale.
Some supporters articulated that they appreciated Potter’s tactical flexibility and saw promise at the beginning, but in the end, his approach was not successful and that he wasn’t the right person for a club of West Ham’s ambition.
There was a similar feeling among many supporters, who called for substantial changes across all levels of management, if not board level, in order to gain a sense of stability for the club.