West Ham co-owner David Sullivan was pictured watching West Ham’s defeat to West Brom but is powerless to intervene over the future of Nuno Espirito Santo as pressure grows on the board to act.

Despite being in charge of the club when West Ham hired Nuno Espirito Santo to replace the hapless Graham Potter, David Sullivan has no power to fire the Portuguese, Hammers News understands.

Instead that decision falls to the club’s largest stakeholder Daniel Kretinsky who did not appear to be present at the London Stadium for West Ham’s second defeat in a week to a Championship promotion rival.

West Ham, widely regarded to have the strongest squad and best player in the second tier, have now slipped to eighth place in the table, the very edge of the newly extended play-off spots.

Sullivan pictured watching West Ham but has no say on Nuno

Hammers News exclusively revealed that Kretinsky will only consider axing Nuno if West Ham lose to Cardiff and Blackburn heading into the international break this week.

But after the dismal defeat to the Baggies, a growing number of Hammers fans want action now while the club’s automatic promotion hopes are still salvageable.

One man who has no say in the situation is unpopular former majority owner Sullivan, who resigned from the board in the wake of relegation in the summer.

Sullivan was pictured watching the Hammers slip to the demoralising 3-1 home defeat alongside fiancée Ampika Pickston, the reality TV personality.

Sullivan’s attendance at matches continues to anger a large section of the fanbase, who are equally irritated by the fact their other co-owner, Kretinsky, rarely attends matches in person.

It will be the Czech Sphinx who ultimately makes the call on Nuno.

Many West Ham fans will welcome confirmation that Sullivan has no say in the Nuno sack decision, which would also mean he has no influence over who to appoint as his successor should it come to that.

Kretinsky is the club’s biggest stakeholder with a 46 per cent share after upping his holding through pre-emption rights when Amanda Staveley made a bid to buy Vanessa Gold and Sullivan’s stakes.

Pressure grows on Kretinsky to act over Nuno

Sullivan used the same pre-emption rights to up his own stake to 40 per cent.

Many Hammers fans are cynical that Sullivan does not have a say on important decisions at the club given he owns over a third of the club.

But both official and unofficial word from West Ham is that Sullivan genuinely has no say on the big decisions. And that will remain the case unless he ever returns to the Hammers board.

West Ham go to Cardiff on Wednesday night before a trip to Blackburn and while Sullivan is in the eye-line of fans right now, Kretinsky is very much the name on everyone’s lips.

If the Czech billionaire thought his decision to retain Nuno was a big call in the summer, he could be about to find out it was small-fry compared to some of the decisions he may have to make – and get right – in the very near future.