3 Nuno replacements West Ham must eye ASAP ft ex-Southampton boss | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at three potential replacements to Nuno Espirito Santo at West Ham United following relegation

After 14 years in the top flight, West Ham United's return to the Championship was sealed on Sunday afternoon despite a comfortable 3-0 home win over Leeds United, as Nuno Espirito Santo's position at the helm is under intense scrutiny.

It's been a miserable year at the London Stadium for West Ham supporters, who must now come to terms with the reality of second-tier football next campaign.

Graham Potter began the season abysmally with the Irons, losing four of his opening five games, beating only Nuno Espirito Santo's Nottingham Forest, who would subsequently replace the current Sweden boss in East London following his own dismissal at the City Ground.

It was hoped that Nuno, who had previously guided both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Forest to the Europa League, would have a similar impact in the capital, but it wasn't to be.

An intense two-way relegation battle with Tottenham Hotspur saw the North London side prevail and retain their top-flight status, whilst West Ham would go under, as Nuno now faces the sack after crunch talks with the Irons, with FLW taking a look at three potential candidates to replace the Portuguese head coach at the London Stadium.

Scott Parker

When it comes to the Championship, few know better than how to get a team promoted than Scott Parker.

The former England midfielder has been promoted with each of Fulham, Bournemouth, and Burnley, the latter of whom he was recently dismissed from after relegation from the top flight.

Indeed, Parker has struggled to make the jump to the Premier League as a manager with any of his previous clubs, but when it comes to the second tier, only Neil Warnock and Steve Bruce have earned more promotions than his three.

Parker made 129 appearances as a player across four seasons at the old Upton Park for West Ham, and will know exactly what it means to represent the shirt.

Available, knows the club, and knows how to get a team promoted, Parker is an obvious candidate for the role if Nuno is to depart, and it would be no surprise to see him in the London Stadium dugout next season.

Will Still

Will Still first shot into prominence in Belgium and France for his exceptional knowledge and depth of tactical understanding, leading Reims to a 19-game unbeaten streak despite not having the required coaching license, with the French side ultimately fined £22k for every game he managed without the correct qualification.

He'd leave Reims for Lens in 2024, and would spend a year in the North East of France before returning to his native England with Southampton following the Saints' relegation to the Championship in 2025.

Unfortunately for Still, things didn't exactly go as planned at St Mary's, winning just four of his 16 games before his dismissal, where he has been out of work since.

A return to France with Auxerre and FC Lorient has been mooted as of late, but nothing concrete has happened as yet, and given Still's availability and previous admission of his love for the Irons, it would certainly be no surprise to him to throw his hat into the ring should the job become available.

Still previously said: "I’ve never had a career plan. I take what comes. But I admit that the little child in me wants to go back to England.

"It’s my home, it’s my championship, the best in the world. I have always been a supporter of West Ham.

"I wouldn’t think twice about it, but would I be able to? I would feel too guilty in the event of defeat.

Whether or not his love for the club rules him out of contention remains to be seen, but he is someone the Irons should be considering in the event of Nuno's departure.

Slaven Bilic

A name that West Ham supporters will know well, Slaven Bilic has represented West Ham as both a player and as manager before, making 54 appearances for the Irons as a player and a further 109 as a manager.

The Croatian guided the East London outfit to a 7th-placed finish in the Premier League during the 2015/16 season, with former French international Dimitri Payet starring during their final season at Upton Park.

Bilic spent two years in charge of the club and has since had spells in charge of Al-Ittihad, West Bromwich Albion (with whom he guided to promotion from the Championship), Beijing Guoan, Watford, and Al-Fateh, and has been out of work since 2024.

A third spell at West Ham cannot, at this stage, be ruled out, as Bilic and the club still share a strong relationship, and if anyone can help them back to the top flight, it would be him.