Nuno to stay as West Ham boss after relegation

Nuno Espirito Santo will stay on as West Ham manager to lead their fight to get back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

The Portuguese met with the club’s senior management on Monday in the wake of their relegation from the top flight.

Although both parties could have severed ties without compensation, they decided to stick together in the hope Nuno will repeat his promotion campaign with Wolves in 2018.

“We are pleased to confirm he has expressed his continued commitment to the club, as we have to him,” wrote the club in an open letter to supporters.

“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 Championship, and it was an outstanding success as he secured 99 points to win the title with Wolverhampton Wanderers.”

West Ham‘s statement accepts the club “cannot shy away from the fact our season has not been good enough”.

The Hammers have been relegated to the Championship for the first time since 2012.

Club sources estimate it will cost them £200m in lost revenue, which means, after a hefty loss of more than £100m in their latest accounts and more losses expected this season, player sales from a squad including much-coveted stars like skipper Jarrod Bowen and Portugal midfielder Mateus Fernandes are inevitable.

Nuno’s promotion drive at Wolves was led by Ruben Neves and loan signings, including Diogo Jota. It remains to be seen whether he will have the same calibre of players this time around.

However, after a slow start following Graham Potter’s dismissal in September, West Ham feels they have seen enough in Nuno to believe he can repeat his promotion feat.

“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,” the club said.

“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 7th place finish across the total 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.”

Hammers pledge to listen to fans

In addition to getting straight back out of the Championship, the club have resolved to repair the fractured relationship with their fans.

Many supporters have never forgiven the club for its decision to move out of Upton Park and into the London Stadium in 2016.

Although it was the second-largest stadium in the Premier League and its 62,500-capacity is almost double that of the next-largest grounds in the Championship, many feel it is soulless.

More importantly, they also feel that promises made around the move about West Ham‘s ability to compete at the top end of the Premier League and to be consistently competitive in Europe have not been met.

Of the architects of the relocation, only Chairman David Sullivan remains. His business partner, David Gold, died in January 2023, while vice-chair Karren Brady quit the club last month, with continued supporter abuse cited as one of the reasons.

“For every single person who is passionate about the club, it (relegation) hurts deeply, and that feeling will sustain for some time,” said West Ham.

“The board must now review every aspect of the club’s operation to ensure that when we return to the Premier League – hopefully in August 2027 – we are a better West Ham United in every way, on and off the pitch.

“We know we must also take steps to repair the club’s relationship with its fanbase. We want West Ham United to be a club that listens to all our supporters and communicates with them clearly and transparently.

“We are committed to taking supporter feedback on board, and backing that up with real, significant actions – starting with reductions of up to 30% across all season ticket prices for next season.”

المصدر: MyJoyOnline (GH)