West Ham Approach Scott Parker After Sacking Nuno

West Ham United are expected to appoint Scott Parker as their new head coach after sacking Nuno Espirito Santo following a disappointing start to their Championship campaign.

The 52-year-old Portuguese manager has paid the price for the club’s poor performances after overseeing their relegation from the Premier League last season.

BBC Sport understands that West Ham are in advanced talks with former Burnley, Bournemouth and Fulham manager Parker, who could be confirmed before Wednesday’s Championship trip to Cardiff City.

Parker previously spent four seasons as a player at West Ham, making 129 appearances for the club. He also guided Fulham, Bournemouth and Burnley to promotion from the Championship.

West Ham, widely considered favourites for automatic promotion, are currently eighth in the table after winning just two of their last six matches.

Back-to-back home defeats against Southampton and West Bromwich Albion have increased pressure on Nuno, with the Hammers losing 3-2 and 3-1 respectively.

Assistant head coach Rui Pedro Silva and goalkeeper coach Rui Barbosa have also left the club.

Mark Noble, Steve Potts and Gerard Prenderville will take temporary charge for Wednesday’s trip to Cardiff.

In a statement, West Ham said the decision followed a review of the team’s performances at the start of the Championship season.

The club said a change was necessary to ensure its objectives and expectations remained on track, while thanking Nuno and his assistants for their contributions.

West Ham’s managerial changes

Nuno’s departure means West Ham are searching for their fourth permanent manager since David Moyes left the London Stadium in May 2024.

His successor, Julen Lopetegui, was dismissed after six months, with the club having won just six of their opening 20 Premier League matches.

Former Chelsea and Brighton manager Graham Potter replaced him but lasted only eight months before being sacked with West Ham sitting 19th.

The club then appointed Nuno, who was unable to prevent relegation despite his previous experience of guiding Wolves out of the Championship.

West Ham finished last season two points behind Tottenham, resulting in their return to the second tier.

Parker emerges as leading candidate

Parker is viewed as a strong candidate because of his previous relationship with West Ham and his experience of securing promotion from the Championship.

During his four-year playing spell at the club, he won West Ham’s Player of the Year award three times and was named Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year in 2011.

The club’s hierarchy reportedly believe he understands West Ham’s culture and could earn the support of the fans.

His experience of winning promotion with Fulham, Bournemouth and Burnley is also seen as a major advantage as the Hammers target an immediate return to the Premier League.

A squad under pressure to deliver

West Ham have undergone significant changes to their squad following relegation and reported financial losses exceeding £104 million.

The club generated approximately £150 million through the sales of players including Mateus Fernandes, Crysencio Summerville, El Hadji Malick Diouf, James Ward-Prowse and Freddie Potts.

They reinvested some of the money in midfielder Arne Engels, signing him from Celtic for a reported Championship-record £22 million. Norwegian winger Edvin Austbo also arrived for a reported £12 million.

Experienced players Joel Veltman and Manor Solomon joined on free transfers, while key figures such as Jarrod Bowen, Tomas Soucek and Konstantinos Mavropanos remained at the club.

However, injuries and inconsistent performances have affected their campaign. Soucek missed the first two months with an ankle injury, while some new signings have yet to make a major impact.

West Ham enjoyed a four-match winning run in September, scoring 16 goals and briefly moving to the top of the table. A 6-0 victory over Wrexham was the highlight.

Since then, their results have been inconsistent, with victories over Lincoln City and Swansea City alongside draws against Millwall and Queens Park Rangers.

The club now faces increasing pressure to secure promotion, with the financial consequences of relegation making an immediate return to the Premier League a major priority.

Whoever takes charge will be expected to turn around the team’s performances and meet the club’s promotion ambitions.