Speculation surrounding Nuno Espirito Santo and Kieran McKenna has gone into overdrive following Graham Potter’s latest humiliation, West Ham United suffering a 3-0 derby defeat by Premier League neighbours Tottenham Hotspur.
Hammers News can confirm that owner David Sullivan is ‘very concerned’ by the ‘toxic’ atmosphere pervading the London Stadium. Poison filling the air and acid rain falling from those thunderclouds above.
West Ham United icon Tony Cottee fears a repeat of the Avram Grant disaster of 2010/11, when an under-fire manager survived a dreadful start only to drag the club into the Championship a few months later down the line.
Damningly, Grant is the only manager in the club’s history with a worse win percentage than Graham Potter’s right now.
Quite simply, this cannot go on.
Speaking to talkSPORT after watching West Ham collapse at home to a London rival for a second home match in succession – and while discussing an East London return for Frank Lampard or Gary O’Neil – former England striker Darren Bent believes Potter would have known what was coming when news of Nuno Espirito Santo’s controversial Nottingham Forest sacking was confirmed.
Nuno Espirito Santo during Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest - Premier League
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Darren Bent talks up Nuno Espirito Santo or Gary O’Neil to West Ham United
Though Hammers News have been informed that Ipswich Town would demand a ‘sizeable’ fee for Kieran McKenna – the former Man United assistant has been linked heavily in recent days – Nuno Espirito Santo is available right here, and right now.
Reports indicate the 51-year-old is hoping for an immediate return to management.
“Potter has got to get himself sorted because I look at who’s out of work,” Bent begins. “Nuno is out of work, and you have to be looking at managers like Nuno.
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“He wasn’t sacked by Nottingham Forest on performance reasons. I think he was sacked on disciplinary reasons for what he said about the owner early on.”
Nuno lost his job following a bitter fall-out with recently-appointed Head of Football Edu Gaspar and eccentric owner Evangelos Marinakis. Even taking Nottingham Forest from the brink of the relegation zone to European qualification – back in continental competition after 30 years away – was not enough to save the former Wolves and Tottenham coach.
If Nuno was to perform similar heroics at West Ham, his appointment would be one of the most inspired decisions of modern times.
“Nuno has done too good of a job at Forest. That’s the one I looked at and went; ‘Oh no’. If you’re Potter, you’re thinking; ‘Oh, here we go’,” adds Bent.
“Nuno is your guy because he’s ready to go. Even someone we like, Gary O’Neil, who we are fans of. “Where’s he gone? Where is he going to go? He could be in the mix there.
“Potter has got to start getting results. Crystal Palace at home [next weekend], difficult. Everton away, Arsenal away. [That will be] a loss. You’ve got to start nicking results from somewhere.”
Bent cannot envisage Frank Lampard leaving Coventry City for the Hammers
Given the way O’Neil’s spell in the Wolves dugout came to an end – he was sacked following a defeat by McKenna’s Ipswich last December with the club 19th in the table – a man who spent two years as a midfielder at Upton Park from 2011 to 2013 will sit much lower than Nuno on the wishlists of most fans.
Another midfielder who once wore the claret and blue has also been mentioned in some quarters.
Coventry City v AFC Sunderland - Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Semi Final First Leg
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Despite his reputation suffering blow after blow during a disappointing end to his Everton career and a disastrous return to Chelsea, Frank Lampard appears to be on the up once again.
He guided Coventry City to within touching distance of a play-off final last season. The Sky Blues are currently sixth in the second tier.
However, the strained relationship between West Ham and their one-time academy graduate – his contentious switch to arch rivals Chelsea still rankles 24 years later – means the three-time Premier League champion would likely face a mixed response if he was to return to his old stomping ground.
Hammers News were told last week that Frank Lampard may be open to a West Ham homecoming, however.
“I don’t know,” is Bent’s response. “Because they don’t get on, them two.”