West Ham consider sacking Nuno Espirito Santo and could re-hire former manager

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

The Hammers could then turn to Slaven Bilic, whom they fired in 2017, in a bid to save their season.

Getty

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

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

They currently languish in 18th spot following Saturday’s 3-0 defeat away to Wolves.

It leaves them four points off safety, with the victory also marking Wolves’ first of the season.

Nuno has won only two of his 15 games since replacing the sacked Graham Potter in September.

talkSPORT understands that former manager Bilic would be a contender to replace Nuno.

The 57-year-old, who was in charge of the Hammers between 2015 and 2017, was also in the running before Espirito Santo was hired.

How close was Bilic?

Bilic spoke to talkSPORT in November and revealed all on just how close he came to replacing Graham Potter.

When commenting on if there was any truth in him going back to his former stomping ground, he said: “There was a bit, yeah, there was a bit.

“I was close or whatever, but I didn’t get the job. They got Nuno, who was a top manager and who’d done a great job at Wolves, not to mention Forest.”

Getty

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 three of the last five top-flight matches.

Summer signing Callum Wilson has entered from the bench in the those same three fixtures but has since earned back-to-back starting berths.

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

The German has since moved to AC Milan on a season-long loan.

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 last Saturday, 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.”

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.”