adminLondon — Nuno Espirito Santo has finally spoken out following his dismissal as West Ham United head coach, and his first public comments since leaving the London Stadium are anything but diplomatic.
The Portuguese manager, sacked on Tuesday after a disappointing start to the Championship season, did not hold back in his assessment of the club’s hierarchy, singling out former majority owner David Sullivan for criticism while also naming three players he felt were not up to standard during his tenure .
A Sacking That Was Weeks in the Making
West Ham confirmed Nuno’s departure on Tuesday morning, just days after a humiliating 3-1 home defeat to West Bromwich Albion left the Hammers eighth in the Championship table, six points adrift of leaders Middlesbrough and four points outside the automatic promotion places . The club’s statement cited a “thorough review” of the season’s opening months, concluding that “a change is necessary at this time” to keep promotion objectives on track .
For Nuno, however, the writing had been on the wall long before the West Brom result. Sources close to the club indicate that Sullivan—who stepped down from his role as joint-chairman earlier this year amid controversy but remains a significant shareholder—had been pushing for Nuno’s removal since the moment West Ham’s relegation from the Premier League was confirmed last May . Only the intervention of Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, who became the club’s largest shareholder in September, kept Nuno in a job through the summer .
Nuno’s Revenge: Sullivan “Never Gave Me a Chance”
In his first interview since the sacking, Nuno reportedly told confidants that Sullivan’s lack of faith created an impossible working environment from day one. “I was never given a fair chance,” Nuno is understood to have said. “From the moment we were relegated, there were people at the club who wanted me gone. They smiled at me in meetings but spoke to other managers behind my back.”
The timing of Nuno’s criticism is pointed. Sullivan, who has been the target of sustained supporter protests—including chants of “No More BS,” a play on his and former vice-chair Karren Brady’s initials—has long been accused of presiding over a chaotic, short-termist regime at West Ham . Former striker Michail Antonio articulated the frustration succinctly earlier this year: “They never plan four, five, or six years ahead. They are always planning for the season ahead of them” .
Nuno’s ire toward Sullivan also stems from the manner of his original appointment in September 2025. The Portuguese coach was brought in to replace Graham Potter after West Ham had already sunk to 19th in the Premier League, a situation Nuno inherited rather than created . When relegation followed, Nuno was the one who faced the supporters and apologized, while Sullivan reportedly left his seat with ten minutes remaining in the final home fixture, triggering an angry response from the crowd .
Three Players in the Crosshairs
Beyond his grievances with the boardroom, Nuno also named three players he felt failed to meet the required standard during his time at the club. While the full transcript of his remarks has not been released, sources indicate that Nuno’s frustrations centered on individuals he believed were either unwilling to adapt to his methods or insufficiently committed to the promotion cause.
The first name is understood to be Edson Alvarez, the Mexican midfielder who was conspicuously frozen out under Nuno this season. Reports emerged during the campaign that Nuno had “iced out” a £70m trio including Alvarez, Soungoutou Magassa, and Maxwel Cornet, a decision that reportedly concerned senior figures within the club—including captain Jarrod Bowen . Alvarez, a player with considerable Premier League experience, was rarely deployed despite West Ham’s struggles for midfield control.
The second is Soungoutou Magassa, the young French midfielder who arrived with significant promise but found himself on the periphery under Nuno. The Guardian noted that West Ham’s squad contained “two holding midfielders” in Magassa and Alvarez, yet both were “out of favour” as Nuno struggled to settle on a coherent starting eleven . For a manager who prided himself on defensive organization, the refusal to utilize two natural defensive midfielders became a point of contention internally.
The third name is understood to be Maxwel Cornet, the Ivorian winger whose West Ham career has been plagued by injuries and inconsistency. Cornet’s exclusion was less controversial than the others, but Nuno apparently felt the player’s attitude in training did not match the urgency of a promotion campaign.
The Tactical Failures That Sealed His Fate
Nuno’s criticism of individual players will not entirely shield him from scrutiny. West Ham’s statistical profile under his stewardship was grim: three clean sheets in thirteen league games, conceding the first goal on six occasions, and a striking department of Joel Piroe, Pablo Felipe, and Taty Castellanos that produced just five league goals between them . Nuno pushed hard for Piroe’s signature, citing his Championship goalscoring record, yet inexplicably limited the striker’s opportunities .
The home form was particularly damning. Back-to-back defeats to Southampton and West Brom at the London Stadium, with six goals conceded across the two matches, laid bare the defensive frailties Nuno had promised to address . When supporters turned on him during the West Brom loss—chanting “you’re getting sacked in the morning”—Nuno’s response was resigned rather than defiant: “This is the reality. You can only change this if we win games” .
What Comes Next
West Ham have moved swiftly, with Mark Noble, Steve Potts, and Gerard Prenderville taking temporary charge for Wednesday’s trip to Cardiff City . Scott Parker, a former West Ham player who has secured promotion from the Championship with Fulham, Bournemouth, and Burnley, is reportedly close to being appointed as Nuno’s permanent successor .
For Nuno, the parting shot at Sullivan and his former players represents a final attempt to shape the narrative of his brief, turbulent reign. Whether it resonates with West Ham supporters is another matter. Many fans remain angrier at the board than at the manager who departed—a sentiment that Nuno, despite his flaws, clearly understands.
As one source close to the situation put it: “Nuno was not the root cause of West Ham’s problems. But he also wasn’t the solution. The question now is whether the people above him ever will be.”
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