West Ham United

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West Ham United have confirmed Nuno Espirito Santo will succeed Graham Potter as the club's new head coach.

The 51-year-old, who has previously managed Wolves, Tottenham and most recently Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, has signed a three-year contract with the Hammers.

Speaking to the club's website, external after signing his contract, Nuno said: "I am very pleased to be here and very proud to be representing West Ham United.

"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."

Nuno will take charge of his first match against Everton on Monday night (20:00 BST), having already taken training at Rush Green on Saturday afternoon ahead of the trip to Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Are you happy with the appointment?

Earlier on Saturday, plenty of you told us the board needed to act quickly, but is Nuno the man to solve the club's problems?

Let us know

James Jones
Fan writer

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The build up to West Ham's trip to Everton on Monday night had a certain level of inevitability to it.

Another defeat last weekend had put further pressure on Graham Potter's position. It was becoming more likely the club would need to act.

The general consensus throughout the fanbase was that he should have been removed immediately after the 2-1 home loss to Crystal Palace, which would have given his replacement a full week to work with the players before Monday night.

Indeed, that would have been the most sensible thing to do.

But no such decision arrived, and fans responded by launching a social media trend which involved planting Potter's face on photos of celebrities and influencers. It was a social media trend for the ages, so much so that Potter was even asked about it in his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon.

But by Saturday morning he was gone, just two days before West Ham's next game.

The timing of it all just seems so haphazard, almost like there was not really a plan in place post-Palace after all.

So who comes in? The likely candidate is Nuno Espirito Santo, who worked wonders at Nottingham Forest before leaving the club last month, ironically after a 3-0 home defeat to Potter's West Ham.

Nuno's style of play would see the team revert back to a similar identity they had under David Moyes, one fans had grown frustrated with towards the end of the Scot's successful reign.

But Julen Lopetegui and Potter have both failed miserably at the task of making West Ham more attractive over the past 14 months, so it seems the club now have no other option but to return to what it knows best.

Nuno has already guided both Wolves and Nottingham Forest into Europe, so he has got the experience and the credentials to deliver what West Ham fans so desperately crave.

The problem is, he will need to have an instant impact in east London, otherwise the pressure will come on quickly.

Find more from James Jones at We Are West Ham, external

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West Ham United have entered the Premier League managerial merry-go-round after sacking Graham Potter, with former Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo already emerging as a strong candidate to take over.

Potter lasted just eight months at London Stadium, so we asked if you agree with the timing of the decision - and what the club should be looking for in their next managerial appointment.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Leigh: I really wanted it to work under him, but unfortunately he did need to go. However, it is horrendous timing by the board again. I honestly feel we are a joke club. A major change is needed at the top.

Kevin: Why wait all week? It has been seven days since the defeat against Crystal Palace. The board could've done this on Monday, giving time to appoint a new manager before the Everton game. Potter may well have needed to go but as sure as eggs are eggs, the entire board need to go as well. This just proves they are unable to run our club properly.

Mark: Potter arrived with a 29% win rate and a reputation of being a smart, adaptable manager. It was never going to work out. Although pre-season was quite promising, with just the one defeat to Man Utd in the USA. It is sad - as when any manager loses their job - but West Ham have to pay for an established manager who can win now, not another freebie.

Colin: It's time the players take some responsibility, for first Julen Lopetegui and now Potter. We have decent players - we just need someone to get a tune out of them.

Nilesh: Right decision, odd timing. If they haven't got someone in place already, why sack him after sending him out to do the media duties and embarrassing him? He had to go, but that's pretty shocking treatment.

George: This season feels very much like the 2010-11 season, where we all knew we were going down from the opening couple of games. I don't think a new manager will change that.

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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West Ham United picked up just three points from their opening five Premier League games this season under Graham Potter, while Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Crystal Palace was their fifth loss in six league and cup games this season.

Potter replaced Spaniard Julen Lopetegui, who was sacked in January after six months in charge, with the Hammers 14th in the table.

"It's a proud day to be head coach of this amazing club - big tradition, big history, big expectations, big challenge," Potter said when he was appointed on 9 January 2025.

But the former Chelsea and Brighton boss found wins difficult to come by.

West Ham - who sold Ghana forward Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham for £55m in July - spent £126m on eight new arrivals in the summer transfer window, including the £38m purchase of Portuguese midfielder Mateus Fernandes from Southampton.

But losses to Sunderland, Chelsea, Tottenham and Palace have left the club in the Premier League's bottom three. They also went out of the Carabao Cup in the second round with a 3-2 defeat against fellow strugglers Wolves.

That led to West Ham issuing a statement acknowledging "results and performances on the pitch over the past two seasons have not met the standards we set for ourselves".

However, disgruntled fans staged a demonstration against the club's board before the Palace match and now the owners have reacted by dismissing Potter.

Poor results on the pitch led to Potter becoming a viral trend on social media, with people using AI technology to swap his face on to other celebrities, including Barbie, Donald Trump and the Chuckle Brothers.

Speaking on Friday, Potter said he had not been taking it too seriously: "It made my 15-year-old son laugh a lot so you have to accept what comes with it [the job].

"At times [that is] ridicule but that is just the environment we are in and it is what it is."

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West ham have dismissed boss Graham Potter with the side 19th in the Premier League after earning only three points from five games this season - and we want your views.

So, what do you make of the timing of the news, do you agree with the decision and what are the main challenges for the next person in the hot seat?

Get in touch with your views here

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Here is the West Ham statement on the dismissal of Graham Potter in full:

"West Ham United can confirm that head coach Graham Potter has left the club.

"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, and 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.

"The club can confirm that assistant coach Bruno Saltor, first-team coaches Billy Reid and Narcis Pelach, lead goalkeeper coach Casper Ankergren, and goalkeeper coach Linus Kandolin have also left with immediate effect.

"The board would like to thank Graham and his coaching staff for their hard work during their time with the Hammers and wish them every success for the future.

"The process of appointing a replacement is under way. The club will be making no further comment at this time."

Alex Fletcher
BBC Sport journalist

West Ham boss Graham Potter has been speaking to the media before Monday's Premier League game against Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Potter began by confirming there are no fresh injury concerns for the Hammers, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka still out with a "stomach problem".

• When asked about West Ham's poor run of form, Potter said: "You have to accept that at the highest level the margins are small. We have to keep moving forward and try to change it. That's the job, that's life and we are looking forward to changing that dynamic."

• He added: "Anything that is worth having in life you have to accept there will be struggle. Football is tough."

• When asked if he knew he had become a meme on social media, Potter replied: "Yes, I am aware of it. It made my 15-year-old son laugh a lot so you have to accept what comes with it [the job]. It is what it is."

• On if he has a favourite meme: "No, not really. I haven't given it too much thought. I've got a few more important things than that, to be honest."

• With speculation continuing to surround his future in the job, Potter said he has held "positive talks" with the club's ownership.

• However, he added: "Nobody is happy with where we are at, but at the same time you have to look at the context and not get caught in the noise."

• On Everton: "They've been good [this season], as you would expect from a David Moyes team, and their new stadium has given everybody a lift."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

James Jones
Fan writer

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Where do we go from here? A little over two years on from winning the Conference League, West Ham are now in crisis.

Two failed managerial appointments, several poor investments in the transfer market, a team without an identity and fans protesting against the board. The Conference League triumph was supposed to be the springboard for further growth. Instead, the complete opposite has happened.

Fans rightly protested against David Sullivan and Karren Brady before Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Crystal Palace.

The current situation is the result of the club having no obvious idea of what it wants to be. There is no identity. There appears to be no strategy. Fans understandably want answers, and they won't rest until they get them.

Indeed, there has been a lot of investment both on and off the pitch, but it appears much of it came without any real plan.

Now the club finds itself at another self-inflicted crossroads. Graham Potter is struggling to get results, with his team failing miserably each week to do the basics - such as defend corners.

At this stage, it is very hard to see how Potter can continue in his position. There will obviously be financial consequences to getting rid of him, but it will be a lot worse financially if Potter is allowed to continue and eventually takes us down to the Championship.

Meanwhile, Nuno Espirito Santo is available and is the most obvious candidate to get the very best out of this squad of players. What he did at Nottingham Forest should be all the evidence West Ham need to make a change as quickly as possible and bring him to London Stadium.

Until then, and until stability is restored in east London, the fans will continue to make themselves heard.

Find more from James Jones at We Are West Ham, external

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Chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions on all things Premier League.

Chris asked: It does not matter if West Ham appointed Jurgen Klopp as the manager, the owners would keep on selling the family silver, getting free transfers and injury-prone and sub-standard players. They have sold us down the river with the stadium move. What's your take on this?

Phil answered: It would matter a lot if Klopp was appointed as West Ham United manager, but I take your overall point.

I can see exactly why fans are disappointed with the stadium because, in truth, it is an athletics stadium and does not work as a football arena. It is as far away from Upton Park for atmosphere as you can get. I have been to Everton's new home by the Mersey waterfront twice and that is a magnificent, purpose-built football stadium. I have noticed many Hammers supporters pointing out the difference.

West Ham have also been hit by so many poor football decisions, such as managerial choices and signings.

As someone who went to Upton Park so many times and absolutely loved it, I feel your pain.

Graham Potter is clearly in real peril, but you do feel it will take more than just a change of manager (again) to transform West Ham's fortunes.

Read more of the Q&A here

Meanwhile, West Ham's troubles were a topic of discussion on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, with former England goalkeeper Joe Hart saying it has been "hard for the club to find a direction"...

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Umir Irfan
Football tactics correspondent

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West Ham are struggling in the Premier League, languishing in 19th place as head coach Graham Potter faces mounting criticism and internal club scrutiny.

One part of their game that has been particularly concerning is their defending of corners, having conceded seven goals from these situations in five games.

Set-pieces are becoming increasingly important as club employ dedicated coaches who analyse how best to expose upcoming opponents.

BBC Sport has analysed West Ham's poor performance from corners and the tactics teams are successfully using against them this season.

Image source, BBC Sport

In recent seasons, crosses to the near post were favoured by attacking teams.

Teams often commit extra players to the near post as a way to prevent dangerous flick-ons in this area, so naturally there are fewer players elsewhere, which includes the far post. As a result, some teams are deliberately choosing to cross to the far post from corners and with good success.

Against Spurs on 13 September, West Ham appeared to place more players towards the near post, perhaps as a result of Chelsea's previous success against them in that area.

Tottenham instead targeted the far post where West Ham had fewer players. Spurs put two attackers at the far post to West Ham's one defender, meaning eventual scorer Pape Matar Sarr was left unmarked.

Spurs didn't block the goalkeeper like Delap did for Chelsea, but they did use blocking in another interesting way.

With a looping ball played to the far post, Potter's West Ham players tried to move from the near post towards the ball. As the Spurs' attackers were positioned behind them, they were able to hold their ground, blocking the West Ham players' path. This prevented any West Ham defender from getting close to Sarr.

With the number of players in the six-yard box, Hermansen was again unable to leave his line too.

Sarr headed the ball in before running off in celebration, pointing to set-piece coach Andreas Georgson.

Read more tactical analysis here

West Ham fan Gary Killington from Hammers United says "ambition is missing" at the club and the problems this season are part of a "gradual decline".

The Hammers sit in the relegation zone with three points from 15 games, leaving Graham Potter's job is under threat, while fans have voiced their frustration at owner David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady in recent protests.

"This is about the gradual decline of the club which has happened since winning the Conference League," Killington told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club. "Immediately after that they put Declan Rice up for sale and we have had a broken midfield since.

"The protests are about 15 years of mismanagement. Up until 2010, we'd had 11 managers in our entire history of 110 years. We could now be looking at our ninth manager in 15 years - if you count the two times we had David Moyes.

"It is unacceptable and shows there is no forward planning. They are making it up as they go along and at the moment we are stuck.

"Even if you look back at the sacking of Julen Lopetegui last season, they hesitated over doing it for six weeks, even though we all knew we were going nowhere as a club.

"Potter was offered a six-month contract - which he declined - before being offered a two-year deal.

"It is always about a short-term fix. But it is also about a whole raft of things when you add in players and the stadium.

"They have taken West Ham and destroyed it.

"Potter's football is turgid. Your home should be a fortress but it is not. There's no atmosphere because the stands are too far away from the pitch.

"There never used to be a quiet home game against the likes of Tottenham or Chelsea - but now it is awful.

"Success for the board is staying up. The ambition is missing."

Watch the full episode of Monday Night Club on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

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Former England captain Wayne Rooney on West Ham's lack of a leader on the pitch: "When you're struggling it is very difficult to play the young players. If they're good enough and head and shoulders above, then of course you play them - but sometimes you can kill them if you throw them into a struggling team.

"It doesn't help them with their careers and, before you know it, they're in a really bad position.

"Over the past 10 years, the success West Ham have had has been when you've got players like Mark Noble and Declan Rice - players who have got quality on the ball. They're going to take the game by the scruff of the neck, lead the other players and put tackles in, and that runs right through the team.

"Then the other players react to that. That's what West Ham are missing - that leader in there who's going to do that for them.

"There's no hiding place when you're playing in the Premier League, and there's a lot of pressure from fans. If a player doesn't have a good game, then all of sudden he's getting abused on social media and what's his mental state like?

"If you're a winning team, no problem. Throw them in - that's when you see young players thrive. But you have to be a little bit more careful with teams who are struggling."

Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds