Now the first of those three potentially defining matches has ended in another damaging defeat.

West Ham supporters were already calling for Nuno Espirito Santo to be sacked following last weekend’s 3-2 loss to Southampton. The latest result has intensified that anger, with the Hammers looking increasingly like an ordinary Championship side rather than one of the division’s promotion favourites.

Nuno now two defeats from potential West Ham sack

The key point from our previous exclusive was that Nuno would not be dismissed simply for losing to West Brom.

Instead, Hammers News understands that losing all three matches against the Baggies, Cardiff and Blackburn would prompt a serious review by Kretinsky and the board heading into the international break.

That means Nuno now has two opportunities to prevent the situation escalating, with West Ham travelling to Cardiff on Wednesday before visiting Blackburn on Saturday. Both fixtures are confirmed in the club’s official schedule.

The hierarchy remains convinced that Nuno can deliver promotion, but another two defeats would make that confidence increasingly difficult to justify.

West Ham have now suffered three defeats this season, all at home, and their latest collapse has left them clinging to a place in the Championship’s top eight.

To make matters worse, results elsewhere have gone against them. Middlesbrough, Swansea, Wolves, Stoke, Birmingham, Southampton and Millwall all enjoyed victories, leaving the Hammers eighth and increasingly distant from the automatic promotion places.

Teams targeting automatic promotion generally need to keep defeats to a minimum across a 46-game campaign. West Ham have already used up half of the six defeats traditionally considered a warning threshold.

More Nuno lip service after another West Ham slow start

Perhaps most frustratingly for supporters, the Southampton defeat had already exposed West Ham’s persistent problem with slow starts.

Nuno once again promised that his team would address the issue, but his latest assurances proved hollow as West Brom took the lead in the first half.

West Ham never looked capable of producing the sustained response required, and the Baggies ultimately took full advantage.

Nuno’s repeated admissions that his team must start better are becoming increasingly difficult for supporters to accept when the same mistakes keep costing points.

With the Hammers now down to eighth, the league position is beginning to reflect the concerns over their performances.

West Ham player ratings vs West Brom

Mads Hermansen – 1/10, Kyle Walker-Peters – 7/10, Airidas Golambeckis – 6.5/10, Max Kilman – 2/10, Morato – 2/10, Arne Engels – 2/10, Divine Mukasa – 2/10, Mohamadou Kante – 6/10, Edvin Austbo – 6.5/10, Jarrod Bowen – 7.5/10, Pablo – 6/10.

Substitutes: Castellanos, Piroe, Soucek, Veltman and Solomon all received 5/10. None made a significant impact.