Nuno Espirito Santo ‘won’t last long’ at West Ham after David Sullivan claim
Nuno Espirito Santo enjoyed a solid start to life at West Ham after the surprise decision was made to replace Graham Potter on 27 September.
West Ham secured a 1-1 draw against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night, marking the manager’s arrival with a well-earned point.
Prior to this, Potter had lost five of the Hammers’ six games in all competitions and appeared to be in freefall towards the threat of relegation.
Football Insider first revealed on 14 September that Nuno was preparing for a Premier League return following his controversial departure from Nottingham Forest.
However, concerns have already emerged following his appointment as a consequence of the way he departed the City Ground.
Nuno Espirito Santo likely to clash with West Ham board
Nuno has been known to clash with owners in the past, including both at Wolves and Nottingham Forest, and there are concerns this trend will continue.
That is according to former West Ham senior scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected at his former clubs, as he exclusively told Football Insider that the boss “won’t last long” if his recent history as well as the board’s is anything to go by.
Brown told Football Insider on 23 September that West Ham’s board were at fault for Potter’s failings after undermining him and going behind his back.
Now, the former scout who has a wealth of experience working closely with elite-level managers including the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, has insisted Nuno could face similar issues.
“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.”
Brown is not the only one to make this claim, as Richard Keys suggested Nuno will regret taking charge at West Ham and will be “abused” by the ownership.
West Ham fans continue plans to protest against the board
West Ham fans are planning to boycott their clash with Brentford on 20 October, with the fixture at the London Stadium set to be televised on Sky Sports.
Similar protests took place ahead of their defeat at home to Crystal Palace, with crowds gathered outside the ground to voice their frustrations at the board.
Meanwhile, during West Ham’s 3-0 defeat to Spurs, the London Stadium was almost completely empty after just 70 minutes as fans made their displeasure clear.
After issuing a letter of no confidence in the club hierarchy, the supporters are planning to step up their protests and are targeting their anger at the directors.
There have been suggestions that Sullivan could be forced to sell his shares due to the unrest, as the managerial change is not expected to impact their plans.
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