West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo faced open mutiny from the London Stadium stands as home supporters joined visiting West Bromwich Albion fans in chanting 'Sacked in the morning' during a 3-1 Championship loss. The taunt was initially started by the away contingent aimed at the former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss, but the Hammers faithful quickly echoed the chant. It is the second time this season that West Ham fans have voiced that exact message toward their head coach, having previously done so during a 1-1 draw with Watford in their third game of the campaign.
The visitors took the lead after 20 minutes when Felix Horn Myhre struck, only for Jarrod Bowen to level the score with his seventh goal of the season. However, West Brom secured the three points through goals from Jimmy-Jay Morgan and Callum Styles, carrying them up to fourth in the Championship standings. The defeat marked West Ham's second consecutive loss in the second tier, causing them to slide down to eighth place and four points adrift of the automatic top-two promotion places.
Assessing the performance on talkSPORT commentary, former player Perry Groves argued that the Hammers have "no chance" of finishing in the top two if their current trajectory persists, characterizing the squad as a disjointed "bunch of players" and "a team of individuals." Groves drew comparisons to Manchester United regarding an absent sense of urgency and poor culture. He suggested that while Espirito Santo's past Championship record with Wolves and the financial cost of a compensation package might currently insulate him from pressure, the club hierarchy could face major decisions before the upcoming international break if form does not improve.
The setback means West Ham have now been defeated in three of their seven Championship home matches this season, having collected just two victories from their previous six league fixtures. Despite the growing toxicity from the home crowd, Espirito Santo addressed the supporters directly via talkSPORT after the final whistle, stating: "We need to stick together. That's the only solution to go back to results, sticking together, helping each other, improving our game. If we do this, the fans are going to be with us."