'I sacked a manager after 12 games' - Insider drops Nuno axe verdict after West Ham latest
Nuno Espirito Santo should not be under pressure at West Ham United despite some growing unrest at the London Stadium.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who has tipped the Hammers to still win promotion back to the Premier League.
After the first three games of the 2026-27 league campaign, Nuno's side were still searching for their opening win. Three games later, and things have changed.
The Hammers are now sitting second in the Championship table, with three wins on the bounce against Wolves, Derby County and Bolton Wanderers.
Nuno is still unable to win over everybody, and fans made their feelings clear during the 4-2 win over Wolves by chanting for the boss' sacking.
The manager responded to those chants, urging the supporters to give him more time, and he has since proven exactly why at the London Stadium.
Nuno Espirito Santo warned over Championship 'marathon'
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes West Ham will be targeted by every club in the division.
Speaking on Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Wyness said: "I took over Aston Villa when they'd just been relegated, and they were favourites to come back up.
"And I had to sack a manager after 12 games. So it can happen, believe me. I do expect Nuno to be able to get the squad to get moving.
"The Championship is not an easy league, and those teams, it's their cup final every week, very physical and it's all been said before...
"But that's the reality, that you can be the favourites, then you're there to be shot at in the Championship. And that squad that you've got is just getting used to the demands of the Championship.
"It's a lot of pressure in front of that big crowd, and they can turn. The West Ham fans have turned already.
"But they're essentially back on track now, but I think Nuno can turn it around. It's a long race, but Nuno's got to get them firing.
"And not too soon, perhaps, but yes, certainly he's got to be able to last like a marathon rather than a sprint."
What are West Ham's chances of winning the Championship?
Fortunes have certainly changed at the London Stadium, with the Hammers sitting just two points off first-place West Brom.
After failing to win the first two games of the season, Opta's predictions saw West Ham fall to an 11.04 per cent chance of winning the title.
Just a couple of weeks later, and Nuno's side have a 23.46 per cent chance of winning the Championship, being tipped to finish in first place.
Of course, there is still most of the 2026-27 campaign to go, but the turnaround in such a short amount of time has been met with positivity in East London.