Why West Ham's relegation to the Championship is a real watershed moment for the club

[p]This precise situation has been coming for a while, if the truth be told.[/p][p][a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ybdtImlf5djJE79eoSTgw?si=_pZ1iL3iQU6kpk9X_A8U_A" target="_blank"][b]Listen to the audio version of this article on Spotify[/b][/a][/p][h2]Declan Rice's sale proceeds have been wasted[/h2][p]Once [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rice-declan/zkQ8Cm6n/"]Declan Rice[/a] was sold and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/moyes-david/hUGEt9yf/"]David Moyes[/a] was eased out of the club, a decision that everyone connected with the East Londoners surely regrets, the writing was on the wall.[/p][p]One man doesn't make a team, of course, but you only have to look at the difference Rice has made at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a] to understand just how important he was to the Irons.[/p][embed guid="4e53f7f4-601c-424f-a5f7-093ad0cc6e76" url="https://x.com/Arsenal/status/1680188074196705281" social-type="twitter" /][p]That the East Londoners didn't really reinvest his transfer fee wisely enough is an absolute travesty, but it is seemingly symptomatic of the decision-making processes at the top level of the club.[/p][p]Not for nothing were the majority of Hammers fans united as one voice at the weekend when trolling chairman, David Sullivan, with the words [b]"you've sold our soul for this soulless bowl."[/b][/p][h2]Embarrassing prediction from Karren Brady[/h2][p]Such was the vitriol from certain sections of the London Stadium that it forced Sullivan to leave his seat early, and it's easy to understand why supporters have pointed the finger of blame towards him and Karren Brady for the mess the club currently find themselves in.[/p][p]The promise made back in 2016, after the move from Upton Park, that supporters would see [b]"a world-class stadium and a world-class team,"[/b] is so far from the reality it is toe-curlingly embarrassing.[/p][embed guid="8ebabffc-7709-4c45-8f6f-282e721a53a9" url="https://x.com/henrywinter/status/2056094714193981515" social-type="twitter" /][p]Assuming that Sullivan decides to remain at the helm rather than selling his stake in the business, there's an awful lot to be done behind the scenes if West Ham wants to bounce back to the top-flight at the first attempt.[/p][p]Before any talk of player incomings or outgoings, the issue of whether Nuno Espirito Santo is the right man to steer the ship has to be addressed.[/p][h2]Nuno has the second-worst win percentage since 2016[/h2][p]In the 10 years since moving from Upton Park, the Portuguese is the sixth Hammers first-team manager, but aside from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wilson-callum/YwKMvtoh/"]Graham Potter[/a], Nuno has the worst win percentage during his time at the club (29.73%). Even the much-maligned [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lopetegui-julen/joAFj9hO/"]Julen Lopetegui[/a] managed 31.82%.[/p][p]Nuno's 15 losses are a worse record than both Lopetegui and Potter, though his paltry seven home wins in all competitions are a marginal improvement on his two immediate predecessors.[/p][image alt="West Ham's recent form" id="b9ea84f5-ffd6-402c-8c58-139a930ebc95" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="12cbb55e-8f17-4628-aad7-dd954fd77f45" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]Rumours that Nuno often ignored his players at half-time or full-time in some games can't be dismissed out of hand either, as it evidences a real disconnect.[/p][p]One can be fairly assured on that basis that if he were to stay on, certain players will go.[/p][p]By far their biggest loss would be that of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bowen-jarrod/pW170H9K/"]Jarrod Bowen[/a]. Reading between the lines of his immediate post-match interview after the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/leeds/tUxUbLR2/"]Leeds[/a] match, the captain didn't explicitly reference that he wanted to stay, only that his heart was at the club and he wanted to see them back in the Premier League.[/p][h2]Pablo has to be the first to leave[/h2][p]If he has genuine aspirations to win the game's biggest trophies and play on the biggest stage, then he has to consider a move away. It may even be taken out of his hands, given that it's believed the club will have to sell in the region of £150m worth of first-team talent in order to balance the books.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pablo/WUmzSYj5/"]Pablo[/a] surely has to be the first out of the London Stadium exit door, however. On the books of the same agent (Jorge Mendes) who represents Nuno, he was signed for a not insignificant £18.3m plus £2.6m in add-ons. [/p][embed guid="cd0711eb-c644-44c4-a1af-c3733080ce5f" url="https://x.com/WestHam/status/2007198966593794406?lang=en" social-type="twitter" /][p]This came only a few months after he'd joined Gil Vicente for £250,000, and the centre-forward has provided one assist and no goals whatsoever in his 17 games for the East Londoners.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/todibo-jean-clair/E10MWYEe/"]Jean-Clair Todibo[/a] apparently refused to play in the final match against Leeds after a huge row with Nuno because of his early substitution against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-utd/p6ahwuwJ/"]Newcastle[/a], meaning the French former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a] man will almost certainly be off too.[/p][h2]A watershed moment?[/h2][p]They won't be the only players that are shipped out, of course, and with an apparent lack of funds to bring real quality to replace them, the Championship season in 2026/27 could represent a real problem for the Hammers.[/p][embed guid="83259fa7-1268-4c28-bf0c-e4ced2c1441f" url="https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2058596058121257300" social-type="twitter" /][p]Whilst they've plumbed the depths before now, this really does feel like a watershed moment for a proud club with a rich history.[/p][image alt="Jason Pettigrove" id="1797d916-d20e-4429-a928-d28c279625d0" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="31d59ed6-6125-45d2-bcec-4d8c2668b3c9" original-width="1200" original-height="380" /]