Daniel Kretinsky will not bow to growing calls from West Ham supporters to sack Nuno Espirito Santo, Hammers News understands, with the club’s hierarchy making clear that the manager’s future will be determined purely by results rather than fan pressure.

Nuno Espirito Santo is facing increasing pressure in east London and now the rules on his future have been made clear.

West Ham have already acknowledged they are “aware” of the unrest surrounding Nuno, as we previously reported, with growing frustration over the team’s style of play, tactical approach and unconvincing performances.

But Hammers News can exclusively reveal that the club’s largest stakeholder Daniel Kretinsky and the West Ham board will not be swayed by supporters demanding a change in the dugout.

A leading source inside West Ham has told Hammers News that the hierarchy will make its decision on the manager based purely on results.

“The board won’t respond to pressure from fans over the manager,” the source said.

“They will make decisions based on results, nothing else.”

The source also confirmed that David Sullivan, who remains a co-owner of West Ham but resigned from the board in the summer, would have no involvement in any decision over Nuno’s future.

Kretinsky draws line over Nuno’s West Ham future

The revelation will frustrate supporters who believe West Ham need to act before their promotion campaign suffers lasting damage.

Nuno has faced increasing criticism over his cautious approach, slow starts and the team’s tendency to struggle for long periods, even when results have been positive.

The 3-2 home defeat to Southampton has intensified that scrutiny, with supporters questioning both the manager’s selection decisions and whether his methods are right for a club expected to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.

West Ham are deemed to comfortably have the best squad in the Championship and supporters feel that is not being reflected in performances.

However, the hierarchy’s position is clear: discontent with the football alone will not trigger a managerial change.

That is a significant distinction. While Kretinsky and the board are aware of the growing frustration, the club is not prepared to make a decision simply to appease supporters.

With West Ham having lost only twice in their first 12 Championship matches, there is not yet an obvious results-based case for dismissal.

The bigger question is what would have to happen before the board considers Nuno’s position untenable.

West Ham’s broader objective is promotion, and Jarrod Bowen made clear before the season began that returning to the Premier League was the priority, whether that be via play-offs or automatic.

Automatic promotion remains the most desirable route, but the expanded Championship play-offs provide an alternative, with six clubs now qualifying for the end-of-season fight to join the top two in the Premier League, including teams finishing as low as eighth.

That raises an important question for Kretinsky: would falling out of the automatic promotion places be enough to put Nuno under serious pressure, or would the board remain committed as long as the Hammers stayed on course for the play-offs?

There is no confirmed points target or league position that would automatically cost the manager his job.

Last season’s Championship automatic promotion sides lost seven and eight league games respectively, illustrating that there is no simple five-or-six-defeat limit. But West Ham will know they cannot afford a prolonged run of poor results and still expect to finish in the top two.

For now, the Hammers remain firmly in the promotion conversation despite the Southampton setback.

That leaves Nuno in a position where performances may continue to divide the fanbase, but the hierarchy will judge him on the league table rather than the volume of criticism.

The coming weeks will ultimately determine whether Nuno can restore confidence and keep West Ham on course for their stated objective, starting with a tough game against West Brom at the London Stadium, where the Hammers have been far from convincing all season.