West Ham have made clear that Nuno Espirito Santo will not be facing the sack if his side lose to West Brom, and Hammers News understands only a disastrous run across the next three games would prompt a serious review by Daniel Kretinsky and the board.

The clarification comes amid growing supporter unrest and uncertainty over exactly what it would take for the club to reconsider Nuno Espirito Santo’s position as West Ham boss.

Following the damaging 3-2 defeat to Southampton, Hammers News exclusively revealed that West Ham were aware of the growing frustration among supporters but remained fully behind Nuno.

We subsequently revealed that Daniel Kretinsky and the board would not bow to fan pressure over the Portuguese’s position, insisting that managerial decisions would be based solely on results. It was also confirmed David Sullivan would have no say on Nuno’s future or any replacement.

But precisely what that meant for Nuno’s immediate future remained unclear.

West Ham will not sack Nuno if they lose to West Brom

Hammers News can now clarify where the line would be drawn this week, where West Ham face three difficult games against West Brom, Cardiff and Blackburn.

That is significant given the growing number of supporters calling for the manager to be replaced, with concerns over his pragmatic approach, team selections and the standard of football becoming increasingly vocal.

West Ham are still firmly in the promotion picture, despite losing to Southampton. They currently sit third in the Championship with 22 points from 12 matches, three behind leaders Middlesbrough and one behind Swansea.

However, defeat to West Brom could leave them vulnerable to being overtaken by several chasing clubs, depending on results elsewhere.

The Baggies themselves are fifth on 21 points, while Wolves are fourth on the same total. Southampton, Birmingham and QPR are also within striking distance.

It means Nuno cannot afford to let the situation deteriorate, even if one more defeat will not cost him his job.

Hammers News has been told the situation would become considerably more serious if West Ham suffered an unthinkable sequence of three defeats against West Brom, Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers, making it four losses in a row.

Three more West Ham defeats would trigger Kretinsky review

Hammers News understands that such a run would prompt a serious review of Nuno’s position by Kretinsky and the board.

That is not to say Nuno would automatically be dismissed following three defeats, but meetings would be held to decide if change would be needed.

The club remain confident that the Portuguese is the right man to deliver promotion and believe he can get the team back on track during this demanding run.

There is little doubt that Nuno’s relationship with sections of the West Ham fanbase has become strained.

Supporters have repeatedly questioned the team’s lack of attacking ambition, slow starts and selections, particularly given the quality and resources available to the manager compared with many Championship rivals.

The Southampton defeat intensified those concerns, but the hierarchy’s position has remained consistent.

Nuno still has West Ham backing despite fan unrest

Kretinsky is not prepared to make managerial decisions based on the volume of criticism from supporters. Promotion remains the overriding objective, and the board believes Nuno can still achieve it.

Jarrod Bowen previously made clear that returning to the Premier League was the club’s priority, whether through automatic promotion or the play-offs.

Nuno therefore knows what is expected. The next three matches provide an opportunity to restore confidence, consolidate West Ham’s position and give the hierarchy further evidence that their faith is justified.

For now, the manager has breathing space. But a disastrous run before the international break would change the conversation considerably.