West Ham make Nuno Espirito Santo announcement as Hammers plan for relegation disaster
West Ham suffered relegation to the Championship on the final day of the season, finishing two points behind Tottenham, and they are now preparing for life in the second tier
Nuno Espirito Santo could not save West Ham United from relegation – but he will remain with the club(Image: Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
West Ham have opted against sacking manager Nuno Espirito Santo following their relegation from the Premier League, the club have confirmed.
The Hammers went into the final game of the season against Leeds United knowing that nothing but a win would do in the quest to climb out of the bottom three. While they came out as 3-0 winners, Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 win over Everton condemned them to the drop.
Less than 24 hours after the relegation was confirmed, speculation started over Nuno’s future. The manager held crisis talks with the club’s hierarchy about his future on Monday.
West Ham have now confirmed the decision that came from that meeting in a statement signed by the club’s board of directors.
“We held meetings with Head Coach Nuno Espírito Santo early this week and are pleased to confirm that he has expressed his continued commitment to the club – as we have to him,” it said.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
“Nuno made it very clear that he is highly motivated for the challenge of guiding West Ham United back to the top flight at the first time of asking. That must be the unquestionable goal for next season. Nuno has spent one previous year in the EFL Championship and it was an outstanding success as he secured 99 points to win the title with Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018.
“While the ultimate outcome on Sunday was a painful one, the board of directors believe that there have been broader signs of improvement and progress in recent months, and we want Nuno to continue developing that progress.
“A total of 25 points taken from our final 17 Premier League matches equated to 1.47 points per game – a ratio that would have resulted in a seventh-place finish across the full season. Furthermore, we feel the clear improvement in squad mentality and togetherness since January, leading to that upturn in performances and results, makes him the right man to lead us forward.”
Nuno joined West Ham in September following the sacking of Graham Potter. In his 37 games in charge this season, he won 13, drew 10 and lost 17.
READ MORE: England’s pre-World Cup opponents drop 3 players after shooting outside barREAD MORE: Arsenal news: Mikel Arteta demands Gunners sign £80m Prem star as transfer ‘talks start’
Speaking about his future after relegation, the Portuguese said: “It’s a moment of deep sadness for all of us at the club. It was a tough day, we had a tough mission, we lost the privilege of deciding our own future.
“If you ask me now about the past and the future, I don’t think it’s the best days to understand the moment of sadness of our fans, of ourselves, of the club, and apologise and thank them for all of the support they gave us.
“It was a strange season in terms of points, normally 39 I think in the last 10 years or so has given the teams enough to keep safe. We improved, but it’s not enough.”
