BOMBSHELL: Club Officially SACKS Manager as Former Newcastle Captain SHOCKINGLY Agrees to Take Over
The decision comes after consecutive home defeats that have left the Hammers sitting eighth in the table, four points adrift of the automatic promotion places and six points behind the early leaders.
In an official statement released on the morning of Tuesday 3 November 2026, the club made clear that the Board of Directors believe a change is necessary to keep the club’s promotion objectives firmly on track.
West Ham United have confirmed the immediate departure of head coach Nuno Espírito Santo following a thorough board review of the club’s disappointing start to the 2026/27 EFL Championship campaign.
The statement also confirmed that assistant head coach Rui Pedro Silva and goalkeeper coach Rui Barbosa have departed alongside the Portuguese manager.
Nuno Espírito Santo had been retained after last season’s relegation from the Premier League and was given the clear mandate of securing an immediate return to the top flight. Early signs were encouraging,
with the side winning six of their opening eleven league matches and briefly sitting inside the automatic promotion spots.
However, a recent dip in form, culminating in back-to-back home losses to Southampton and West Bromwich Albion, proved decisive.
Club legend Mark Noble, together with Steve Potts and Gerard Prenderville, will take temporary charge of squad preparations for Wednesday evening’s Championship fixture away at Cardiff City.
The club has stated it will make no further comment until a permanent successor is confirmed.
The sacking marks the latest chapter in a turbulent period at the London Stadium. Since David Moyes departed in May 2024, the club has already gone through several permanent managerial changes.
Supporters had grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of consistency and the failure to convert an expensive summer recruitment drive into sustained results at the top of the Championship table.
West Ham invested heavily during the close season in a bid to bounce straight back, including a club-record Championship fee for midfielder Arne Engels from Celtic. Expectations were sky-high after the relegation, and the board’s patience finally ran out once the side slipped out of the top two after those successive home setbacks.
The review conducted by the directors concluded that a fresh approach was required if the promotion target was to remain realistic with more than two-thirds of the season still to play.
Nuno’s overall record at the club stood at 19 wins, 15 draws and 19 defeats from 53 matches across all competitions, a win percentage of just under 36 per cent.
While he had stabilised the side after a difficult period under his predecessor, the failure to keep West Ham in the Premier League and the subsequent stuttering start to life back in the second tier ultimately sealed his fate.
Sources close to the club indicate that co-owner Daniel Křetínský made the final call after previously backing the Portuguese coach against the wishes of other board members at the end of last season.
The timing of the decision, just 24 hours before a tricky away trip to Cardiff City, underlines the urgency felt inside the boardroom.
The interim trio of Noble, Potts and Prenderville will prepare the squad for that fixture, but the process of appointing a permanent head coach was already well advanced by the time the official statement was published on Tuesday morning.
Multiple reliable reports throughout Tuesday confirmed that the club has moved swiftly and secured agreement with their preferred candidate. The man set to take over is a former Newcastle United captain who also enjoyed a highly successful four-year playing spell at West Ham between 2007 and 2011.
During that time he made more than 120 appearances, captained the side, and won the club’s Player of the Year award on three consecutive occasions.
He was also named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year in 2011 while still a Hammer.
Scott Parker, 46, has agreed in principle to become the new West Ham United head coach.
Talks over personal terms and the structure of his contract were described as advanced by Tuesday evening, with several sources indicating that the formal announcement could come within the next 24 hours.
There is even hope inside the club that he may be in the dugout for the Cardiff match, although that remains dependent on the final paperwork being completed in time.
Parker has been out of work since leaving Burnley by mutual consent at the end of last season. His managerial CV is built on a remarkable record of delivering promotion from the Championship.
He led Fulham to the Premier League, repeated the feat with AFC Bournemouth, and then guided Burnley back to the top flight as well.
That three-time promotion success made him an obvious target for a West Ham side whose sole objective this season is an immediate return to the Premier League.
Club sources have highlighted Parker’s intimate knowledge of West Ham’s culture and the demands of the fanbase as key factors in the decision. One senior figure told local media that Parker “knows the club and has a brilliant promotion record – it is quite literally second to none.”
The same source noted the difficulty of taking over mid-season with no opportunity to strengthen the squad until the January transfer window opens in eight weeks’ time.
Parker’s contract is expected to contain performance-related clauses linked to promotion, with the possibility of an extension should the side secure a return to the Premier League. Conversely, the deal is also understood to include provisions that would allow the club to part ways should the promotion target not be achieved.
The appointment will mark a homecoming for the former England international. After beginning his career at Charlton Athletic and enjoying spells at Chelsea and Newcastle United – where he served as captain –
Parker arrived at West Ham in 2007 and quickly became a fans’ favourite for his tireless midfield displays and leadership qualities.
He later moved to Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham before hanging up his boots and embarking on a managerial career that has so far been defined by success in the second tier.
As of the evening of 3 November 2026, West Ham sit eighth in the Championship with 22 points from 13 matches, having scored 33 goals – one of the highest totals in the division – but also showing defensive vulnerability at times.
The side remains only four points behind the automatic promotion places, meaning the new manager will inherit a squad still very much in contention provided results improve quickly.
Supporters on social media and fan forums reacted with a mixture of relief at Nuno’s departure and cautious optimism about Parker’s arrival.
Many pointed to his deep connection with the club and his proven ability to get teams out of the Championship as reasons for hope. Others urged patience, noting that mid-season managerial changes rarely produce instant transformations and that the January window will be crucial.
The club’s next fixture at Cardiff City on Wednesday night will be overseen by the interim staff, but all eyes are already on how quickly Parker can be formally installed and begin implementing his ideas.
With a demanding run of fixtures still to come and the promotion race heating up, the new head coach will have little time to settle in.
West Ham’s hierarchy believe they have acted decisively to protect the season’s primary objective. By moving so rapidly to secure a manager with a proven promotion pedigree and a genuine affinity for the club, they hope to stabilise results and reignite the push for an immediate return to the Premier League.
As the formal announcement of Scott Parker’s appointment is expected in the coming days, the London Stadium prepares for yet another new chapter in what has already been a turbulent few seasons.
Further updates will follow once the club confirms the permanent appointment and Parker addresses the media for the first time as West Ham head coach.