West Ham Board Furious with Nuno Espirito Santo as Club “Lose Faith” Following Nottingham Forest Fallout

Smiles at the Wrong Time: Why Nuno’s Nottingham Forest Actions Sparked Fury

In football, timing is everything. A goal scored at the right moment can change a season. A mistake at the wrong one can end a career. For West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo, it was neither a tactical error nor a poor substitution that caused the latest storm — it was a smile.

Following West Ham’s damaging 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest, cameras caught Nuno warmly embracing former players, laughing and exchanging words of affection on the pitch. In isolation, it looked harmless. In context, it was explosive.

The Hammers are staring relegation in the face. Seven points from safety. Ten games without a win. Confidence draining by the week. And yet, their manager appeared relaxed, almost content, moments after a defeat that could define the club’s season.

According to reports, the West Ham board were furious.

“Dismay” Inside the Boardroom After Forest Defeat

The Guardian reports that senior figures at West Ham were left “dismayed” by Nuno’s post-match behaviour. Not angry in a theatrical sense, but coldly disappointed — the kind of emotion that lingers far longer.

Nuno’s connection with Nottingham Forest is well known. He managed the club earlier in the season and retains strong relationships with several players, including Morgan Gibbs-White and Morato. No one at West Ham disputes that. But the issue was not loyalty — it was optics.

From the board’s perspective, this was not a routine defeat. It was a six-pointer against a direct relegation rival. It was a match West Ham simply could not afford to lose. And yet, within seconds of the final whistle, their manager looked anything but wounded.

One senior source reportedly described the scenes as “naive”. Another suggested Nuno had shown “a complete lack of awareness” of the gravity of the situation.

The consensus? If those reunions had to happen, they should have taken place in the tunnel — not in front of travelling supporters already at breaking point.

Losing Faith in the Managerial Project

West Ham United v Nottingham Forest – Premier League

The anger over the Nottingham Forest incident is merely the surface of a much deeper problem. Behind closed doors, belief in Nuno Espirito Santo is evaporating.

Since taking over in September following the dismissal of Graham Potter, Nuno has overseen just two wins in 16 matches. The football has been cautious, often lifeless. Results have been poor. Confidence has drained from the squad.

West Ham now find themselves entrenched in the relegation zone, and the sense of momentum — so vital in survival battles — is completely absent.

Training ground mood is described as “low”. Some players are reportedly questioning tactical instructions. Others are struggling to buy into a system that seems designed not to lose, yet still does.

While no single moment seals a manager’s fate, the Forest aftermath has been viewed internally as symbolic: a coach emotionally detached from the urgency of the fight.

Dressing Room Doubts and Tactical Confusion

Sources close to the club suggest that cracks are beginning to show within the dressing room. Players are not openly revolting, but there is growing uncertainty about direction.

Nuno’s approach has always been methodical, structured and conservative. At Wolves, it worked. At Spurs, it did not. At West Ham, it is increasingly being questioned.

Several senior players are believed to feel that the team lacks identity. Are they a counter-attacking side? A possession team? A low block survival unit? The answers change week to week.

In relegation battles, clarity is everything. Right now, West Ham look confused — and confusion is fatal at the bottom of the table.

The Sullivan Dilemma: Stability vs Survival

Majority shareholder David Sullivan is said to be deeply unhappy. However, West Ham’s leadership finds itself trapped in an uncomfortable dilemma.

In the past 12 months alone, the club has already sacked Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter. A third dismissal in such a short period would underline instability and invite criticism of chaotic leadership.

But fear of relegation changes priorities.

Some voices inside the club believe Nuno should have been dismissed after the humiliating 3-0 defeat to Wolves the previous weekend. That result, coupled with the Forest loss, has pushed patience to its limit.

Stability is desirable. Survival is essential.

January Transfers: Backing the Manager or Betting the House?

Adding another layer of pressure is West Ham’s January transfer activity. In an effort to rescue the season, the board backed Nuno in the market.

Deals were sanctioned for Lazio striker Taty Castellanos and Brazilian winger Pablo Felipe from Gil Vicente. On paper, they are logical signings — players with energy and upside.

But the deal for Pablo Felipe has raised serious eyebrows.

West Ham have agreed to pay €21 million plus add-ons for the 22-year-old winger, who joined Gil Vicente for just €250,000 six months earlier. That kind of markup screams risk, and Nuno was reportedly the driving force behind the deal.

If the signings fail, accountability will land squarely at the manager’s door.

Squad Churn and Recruitment Chaos

West Ham’s recent recruitment has felt disjointed. The looming exit of Callum Wilson by mutual consent after just five months is the latest example.

The 33-year-old striker was brought in as experience and leadership. Instead, his short-lived spell has highlighted the lack of coherent planning.

Too many short-term fixes. Too many mismatched profiles. Too little continuity.

Relegation-threatened clubs cannot afford recruitment mistakes. West Ham appear to be paying for several at once.

West Ham United v Nottingham Forest – Premier League

The Final Roll of the Dice: FA Cup and Tottenham Showdown

For now, Nuno remains in charge — but the margins are razor-thin.

West Ham face Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup this weekend, a match that offers little upside and significant risk. Lose, and the pressure intensifies. Win, and it merely postpones judgement.

The real test comes the following Saturday away at Tottenham.

Sources close to the club believe that defeat at Spurs could be terminal for Nuno’s tenure. The board is already sounding out alternatives, and speculation has begun.

Former manager Slaven Bilic has been linked with a sensational return. A familiar face. A rallying figure. Someone who understands the club and its fanbase.

Whether that move happens or not, the message to Nuno is clear: time has run out.

No More Smiles, Only Results

Football can be brutal in its simplicity. Sympathy doesn’t win points. Relationships don’t lift teams out of relegation zones.

Nuno Espirito Santo is now firmly in last-chance territory. The smiles with old friends, the gestures of goodwill — they no longer matter.

What matters is wins. And quickly.

West Ham are losing faith. The board is restless. The fans are angry. The table is unforgiving.

If Nuno cannot turn this around immediately, his time in east London will be remembered not for tactics or transfers, but for a moment when he smiled at exactly the wrong time.