As soon as the name of Nuno Espirito Santo appeared on the list of potential Graham Potter replacements at West Ham United, it felt as if there was one clear outstanding candidate for the Premier League strugglers.
In their position, even the most optimistic Hammers supporter would probably have to admit that luring Nuno Espirito Santo to the London Stadium – and a potential relegation battle – was quite the coup.
Only a few months earlier, he had led Nottingham Forest to European qualification. Nuno also took Wolves into continental football. And for a club who were haemorrhaging goals at a staggering rate, hiring a coach who prides himself upon instilling rock-solid defensive foundations was another substantial plus.
While a dreadful start may have tempered early expectations, Nuno hopes that Newcastle victory is a turning point. Should West Ham United beat Burnley on Saturday, that will mean successive home league victories for the first time since October 2024.
Speaking of Burnley, former Hammers skipper Scott Parker is the man standing in the way of another much-needed, confidence-boosting London Stadium triumph.
Interestingly, Hammers News reported before Nuno put pen to paper on a three-year deal in October that sporting director Mark Noble is an admirer of the Burnley manager.
The West Ham job may have come around at the wrong time for Parker in 2025 – under contract at Turf Moor and still tainted by a relegation with Fulham and a 9-0 thumping which ended his Bournemouth tenure – but the Upton Park icon is likely to be someone whose progress is watched with a keen eye in East London.
Burnley manager Scott Parker may be open to West Ham United return one day
Two weeks after Frank Lampard seemingly left the door ajar for a West Ham return at some point down the line, another former claret and blue midfielder reflected fondly on his own relationship with the Hammers.
“I am looking forward to going back and I’m sure I will see some familiar faces,” Parker, who is likely to be greeted by former teammate Noble before Saturday’s 3pm kick-off, said during his pre-match press conference.
“I had four absolutely fantastic years there, and I loved every bit of it really.
“It’s a fantastic football club that not only made me feel very welcome but also made my family feel very welcome. I felt really at home there.”
Mark Noble is a big fan of former Hammers teammate Parker
Only time will tell whether East London is destined to become Parker’s ‘home’ again later down the line.
Graeme Bailey, Hammers News’ chief football correspondent, reported that Parker, Lampard and another former West Ham ace in Michael Carrick had been identified by Noble as alternatives to a certain 51-year-old Portuguese.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 16 |  LeedsLeeds | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 17 | -8 | 11 |
| 17 |  BurnleyBurnley | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 19 | -7 | 10 |
| 18 |  West HamWest Ham | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 21 | -11 | 7 |
| 19 |  Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 19 | -12 | 6 |
| 20 |  WolvesWolves | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 22 | -15 | 2 |
“[Parker] is a player with history at West Ham and they do respect the work he has done in recent years as a manager. He can’t be totally discounted,” Bailey said.
“I understand Mark Noble likes Parker, but has also pushed the cases of the likes of Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick.”
As mentioned earlier, Parker has a point to prove in the Premier League. His Burnley side have exceeded expectations so far, however.
They go into this weekend’s clash three points clear of his old employers. Burnley showed plenty of resilience but no little quality in big wins over relegation rivals Leeds and Wolves, while both Manchester United and Liverpool needed stoppage-time penalties to see off a Clarets outfit who already look a damn sight stronger than Vincent Kompany’s 2023/24 vintage.
Frank Lampard’s free-scoring Coventry City are flying in the division below, meanwhile. Not only are the scintillating Sky Blues already four points clear at the top, their tally of 39 goals is 16 more than the Championship’s second-best.
Burnley coach praises ‘exceptional’ Nuno Espirito Santo
Nuno expects Burnley to pose a ‘totally different’ challenge compared to Newcastle six days earlier. Parker, in the opposite dugout, believes that West Ham are a much more organised and well-drilled outfit now than they were under Graham Potter, even if the results are yet to really follow suit.
“I’ve seen a difference since Nuno Espirito Santo’s come in there,” said Parker, who was named the Football Writer’s Player of the Year while a West Ham player in 2011.
“They have only played a small amount of games but they look very solid. He is very well-respected and the job he’s done at other clubs has been exceptional, so I know we will be coming up against a really well-organised team.
“It’s a big game. Like I always say, every game’s big. But we’re playing against a side that have come off a very good result [against Newcastle] as well. We understand the magnitude of the game as early as we are still in this season, but we go down there with a big amount of confidence and hopefully we’re going to put in a good performance.
“The games where we’ve needed to win, we’ve obviously got our points and got them on the board, so we’re going into the weekend’s game like we do every week to try and do that again.”
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