West Ham consider sacking Nuno Espirito Santo after just three months in charge

West Ham will consider changing manager for the second time this season if their form does not improve quickly, talkSPORT understands.

Nuno Espirito Santo is under intense pressure with the club in a relegation battle following a dreadful run of form.

Getty

The Hammers are rooted in the bottom three having gone seven Premier League games without a win.

They currently languish in 18th spot following Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Fulham at the London Stadium.

It leaves them five points off safety ahead of Tuesday night’s home clash against Brighton.

Nuno has won only two of his 13 games since replacing the sacked Graham Potter in September.

Hammer blow

Sources have told talkSPORT some of the Hammers hierarchy have also been left perplexed by Nuno’s reluctance to start with a recognised striker in his team.

Skipper Jarrod Bowen – a natural right winger – has led the line in each of the last three top-flight matches.

Summer signing Callum Wilson has entered from the bench in the last three fixtures.

Meanwhile Niclas Fullkrug – a £27million arrival from Borussia Dortmund in 2024 – hasn’t featured since November 30.

talkSPORT understands that AC Milan are closing in on a loan move for the German centre-forward, where they can offer him regular football.

Should Nuno be dismissed by West Ham, it would be his second axing this term having been sacked by Nottingham Forest on September 8.

Getty

Fear is now growing that West Ham could drop into the Championship after 14 consecutive years in the Premier League.

Following the loss to Fulham, which saw Raul Jimenez score an 85th minute winner, Bowen declared that he and his teammates held a dressing room inquest.

Insisting the blame cannot lie solely with boss Nuno, he said: “When things aren’t going well, it can be easy to point fingers, but ultimately we’re the ones who have to change things.

“I start with myself first, and I have to demand more from myself, but we all have to demand more from each other.

“A few players spoke after the game, which is good, it’s always hard when there’s emotion after you’ve lost a game.

“But it’s a really good group here, and we all know that we have to demand more of ourselves.

Getty

“We have a game on Tuesday, so now we have to recover well, do the right things, and go back into training with the same mindset.

“We play Brighton and then we have a run of important games after that, so there’s still loads to play for.”

Should West Ham drop down into England’s second-tier, their 62,500-seater stadium would be the biggest in the division.

As it stands, Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough holds the largest capacity with 39,589 seats, though they look destined to be playing League One football next season.

talkSPORT co-host and ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie O’Hara has boldly stated that West Ham should be forced to leave their ground if they are relegated.

He remarked: “I think if they go down, they shouldn’t be allowed that ground.

“They would have to vacate, share with Leyton Orient or something.

“It’s unacceptable to have the Olympic Stadium in the Championship. It’s unacceptable.

“This thing is used to watching winners, gold medallists, and they’re going to have Championship football.

“It’s unacceptable. They should vacate.”