Nuno Espirito Santo ‘won’t last long’ at West Ham after ownership bust-up

When West Ham announced the surprise appointment of Nuno Espírito Santo following the dismissal of Graham Potter, many saw it as a calculated gamble.

The new boss made a promising start with a 1–1 draw away at Everton, but behind the scenes, concerns are already emerging about how long he might last with the Irons.

That result offered a brief boost in morale, but football insiders caution that results alone will not insulate him from the structural tensions that have plagued other recent managerial regimes at the club.

In particular, former scout Mick Brown has warned that unless both parties adapt, the Portuguese coach may struggle to stay afloat under West Ham’s demanding ownership.

Nuno Espirito Santo is known for being outspoken

Nuno has a history of clashing with the owners of the clubs he has managed. It happened at Wolves as well as Nottingham Forest.

Brown, ex–West Ham scout, argues that this kind of friction could repeat itself if the board does not learn from past mistakes.

“If recent history is anything to go by, Nuno won’t last long,” he told Football Insider.

“I don’t see what the board have done to show that this appointment is going to be any different to the last two, neither of which was exactly a success.

“For Nuno, he left Wolves after disagreeing with the owners on their transfer decisions and direction, and then left Forest after another disagreement with the owner.

“[David] Sullivan and co have shown they aren’t always the easiest to work with.

“I’m sure he’ll speak about it one day, he doesn’t need me to speak for him, but even when Moyesey was there, they made decisions behind his back all the time, like deciding to hire [Tim] Steidten against the manager’s express wishes.

“That’s not even getting started on the transfers where the chairman has intervened or made moves even if the manager has said otherwise.

“Nuno, his history with previous owners, and knowing how the board operate at West Ham. I can see it going wrong, as much as I hope it doesn’t for the manager’s sake.”

West Ham United are a club in disarray

Nuno inherits a challenging role at West Ham, stepping into a club already racked with tensions between management, ownership, and supporters.

While his first result offered promise, the historical patterns suggest that longevity may depend less on what happens on the pitch and more on how he navigates off it.

If West Ham’s hierarchy wants continuity and success, they must offer their manager more than just goodwill, they will need mutual trust, transparency, and a willingness to avoid repeating past errors.

Otherwise, despite a hopeful start, Nuno may find himself under pressure far sooner than either side anticipated.

Summer signing could already leave West Ham for a better team 

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