Earlier today, I was asked a brutally honest question by a heartbroken West Ham supporter — one who still clings to the hope that the club can be fixed under its current structure.
With Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva both likely to be available in the summer, the question was simple: if West Ham somehow stayed up this season, would either of them take the job?
It was a sad question for two reasons.
First, because it was rooted in the fragile hope that our beloved club might survive in the Premier League.
Second, because it assumed that mere survival would somehow reset everything — that once the season ended, normal service could resume.
I left the survival part unanswered. As long as it remains mathematically possible, who am I to burst that bubble?
But the second part of the question needed addressing.
A Reputation Problem That Can No Longer Be Ignored
On that front, the reality is grim: the game is up. West Ham are viewed across football as a broken club.
While fans debate Nuno Espírito Santo’s tactics — his reluctance to play a recognised striker or his constant reshuffling of the starting XI — the wider football world sees something very different. There is no illusion outside the London Stadium: this is not Nuno’s fault. West Ham are simply unmanageable.
There was a brief window after David Moyes’ second departure when the belief still existed that success could be rebuilt here. That belief has now evaporated. Speak to former managers, players, or agents and the message is consistent: the club’s internal structure is not fit for purpose.
The Word Is Out: West Ham Are a Poisoned Chalice
Within football circles, the verdict is clear. West Ham is now viewed as a poisoned chalice.
The uncomfortable truth is that neither Iraola nor Silva would go anywhere near the job — not because they lack ambition, but because taking it would actively damage their careers. Yes, someone will always step forward out of desperation or necessity, but an ambitious, upwardly mobile coach? Forget it.
Ironically, Nuno is in a relatively protected position. Whatever happens here is unlikely to seriously harm his reputation. Relegation would look ugly on paper, but the prevailing view is that he has been completely hamstrung by the club’s structure.
The Worst of All Worlds Behind the Scenes
Recent episodes involving Kyle Macaulay and Tim Steidten have not gone unnoticed. West Ham have demonstrated that they neither want a proper director-of-football model nor are they willing to hand real control of recruitment to the manager.
Instead, the club exists in an awkward, outdated middle ground — one where David Sullivan still has the final say on transfers. That setup is deeply unattractive to modern managers and head coaches.
The dismissals of Newman, Steidten, and Macaulay show a consistent pattern: even when senior football figures are appointed, stability never follows.
Macaulay is now head scout at Manchester United — a club that had no issue hiring him for free less than a year after West Ham paid £1m in compensation to bring him in. That level of churn and chaos at the top simply does not happen elsewhere.
An Outdated Model in a Modern Game
Many of Sullivan and Brady’s long-standing allies within football have disappeared, replaced by a new, largely overseas ownership class that neither identifies with nor tolerates West Ham’s outdated governance model.
And that is precisely why, should Nuno fail to win either of his next two matches, his most likely replacement will be Slaven Bilić. Much as fans love Slav, he is no longer a “hot” managerial commodity — and crucially, he already understands the job and the people running the club.
What Comes Next
As for Nuno? My suspicion is that within the next 12 months, he will find himself in a far better role than the West Ham hot seat.
And that, more than anything, tells you everything you need to know about the state of this football club.
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