West Ham sack Nuno Espírito Santo – Scott Parker set to return as head coach

West Ham United have sacked head coach Nuno Espírito Santo after 13 matches of their first Championship season since relegation. The club confirmed the decision on Tuesday morning, 3 November, saying a thorough review of the start to the campaign had convinced the board that a change was needed to keep its objectives on track. Within hours, several reliable outlets reported that former Hammers midfielder Scott Parker had agreed terms to succeed him.

Two home defeats tipped the balance

The trigger was a bad week at the London Stadium. West Ham lost 3-2 to Southampton and then 3-1 to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday – two home defeats in a row for a squad that was built to go straight back up. Nuno had won only two of his last six league games, after a four-match winning run in September had briefly taken the team to the top of the table.

The Portuguese coach had replaced Graham Potter in September 2025 and stayed on after the club finished 18th in the Premier League in May. His assistant Rui Pedro Silva and goalkeeping coach Rui Barbosa have also left, according to Hayters. Club legend Mark Noble, now sporting director, will take temporary charge alongside Steve Potts and Gerard Prenderville.

Where West Ham stand

With six wins, four draws and three defeats, West Ham have 22 points from 13 games and sit eighth – six points off the top and four behind the automatic promotion places, having played a game fewer than most of their rivals.

Pos	Club	Played	Points	Goal diff.
1	Middlesbrough	13	28	+13
2	Birmingham City	14	26	+13
3	Stoke City	14	26	+5
4	Swansea City	14	26	+5
5	West Bromwich Albion	14	25	+5
8	West Ham United	13	22	–

Championship top five after Tuesday's games (EZCO match data); West Ham's position and points from Sky Sports.

The next fixtures come quickly:

• Wednesday, 4 November, 19:45 GMT: Cardiff City v West Ham United
• Saturday, 7 November, 15:00 GMT: Blackburn Rovers v West Ham United
• Saturday, 21 November, 15:00 GMT: West Ham United v Preston North End, after the international break

Scott Parker: terms agreed, not yet official

According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, West Ham have agreed terms with Parker; Sky Sports News described the talks as being at an advanced stage, and Fabrizio Romano reported that all terms were agreed with the contract still to be signed. The club has not announced the appointment. It hoped to have him in place in time for the trip to Cardiff, but until the paperwork is completed the interim staff are in charge.

Parker made 129 appearances for West Ham between 2007 and 2011 and has since won promotion to the Premier League three times as a coach – with Fulham, Bournemouth and Burnley. Burnley dismissed him last April once their relegation was confirmed.

Our take

The timing is brutal but logical. West Ham are not in a crisis by Championship standards – four points from the automatic places after 13 games is recoverable – yet the board clearly felt the trend was wrong: two home defeats against direct rivals, and a team that looked worse in October than in September. Parker's appeal is obvious. He knows this division, he has done exactly this job three times, and he knows the club from the inside.

The risk is just as clear: his promotion sides were built on control and defensive structure, while West Ham's squad is still shaped by Premier League contracts and expectations. With only two games before the break, the first fortnight is more about stabilising than transforming. The real test begins against Preston on 21 November.

Follow West Ham United live on EZCO, with every result and the current Championship table as it changes.