---
title: "“Dreadful, really was poor…West Ham look half asleep”: Tony Cottee eviscerates Nuno"
canonical: "https://readwestham.com/2026/11/03/dreadful-really-poor-west-ham-half-asleep-tony-cottee-eviscerates-nuno/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Graeme Hanna"
section: "West Ham News"
published: "2026-11-03T11:43:50Z"
modified: "2026-11-03T11:51:31Z"
---

# “Dreadful, really was poor…West Ham look half asleep”: Tony Cottee eviscerates Nuno

**West Ham United legend Tony Cottee has launched a scathing analysis of Nuno Espírito Santo, stating that he wouldn’t have appointed him in the first place.**

Cottee was speaking on [TalkSPORT](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q2-wgysQs0), in conversation with Jeff Stelling and Andy Townsend in reaction to the breaking news that [Nuno had been sacked by West Ham](https://readwestham.com/2026/11/03/west-ham-explain-why-sacked-nuno-manager/).

The former striker was seriously unimpressed by what he witnessed from the Portuguese coach, and he went on to give his perspective on who his replacement should be.

## Tony Cottee blasts Nuno’s West Ham performance

Speaking live on TalkSPORT on Tuesday morning, Cottee was asked if ditching Nuno was the right decision:

“Yes Jeff, without a doubt,” he told the host of the breakfast show.

“I can only talk personally, I wouldn’t have appointed him in the first place and secondly, I think once the club got relegated, he should have left.

“Thirdly, I was here on Saturday (West Brom defeat) and it was dreadful. It really was poor, following on from losing at home to Southampton.

The home form has been really, really iffy, and a lot of it, it is cup final time for teams coming to the London Stadium. They’re all raising their game and West Ham look half asleep.

“That’s got to come from the manager. Tactically, he’s been naive. The subs leave you scratching your head, so it doesn’t come as a surprise.”

Cottee then reflected on a moment from the weekend, with the writing on the wall for Nuno.

“I think there were two minutes left on Saturday and the West Brom fans were singing ‘Sacked in the morning’. Our lot then joined in with them..the ones who were left.

[BREAKING NEWS 🚨 Nuno Espirito Santo SACKED by West Ham after falling to 8TH in the Championship! (embedded)](https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/5q2-wgysQs0?feature=oembed)

### Tony Cottee details “standout candidate” to replace Nuno

Andy Townsend then asked, “What profile of manager is the right one to galvanise West Ham?”

The man who scored 115 goals for the Hammers over two spells responded:

“Listen, the obvious candidate, stand-out, best manager available is Eddie Howe, who’s done a great job at Bournemouth, great job at Newcastle.

“Could he come to West Ham, I think he could. Does Eddie want it? I don’t know.

“Secondly, you can go for a West Ham connection along the lines of [Scotty Parker](https://readwestham.com/2026/11/03/west-ham-manager-odds-nuno-sacked/), Craig Bellamy, there’s probably others that spring to mind or you can go the firefighting route with Sean Dyche or someone like that.

“Me, preferably, I would want someone with a West Ham connection, or Eddie Howe, who I think is the standout candidate.