West Ham United fans will find themselves nodding along in agreement with Jamie O’Hara following a third home defeat of the Championship campaign against an inspired West Brom.

Forget the hooded ghouls lurking just out of sight in the corner of your bedroom. This is the scariest thing you will experience on Halloween night.

Featured comment

nickdomjan

I’d love to see McKenna however appreciate there will be a lot of competition for him and worry that we may be too poor to interest him. Another worth looking at is Joao Sacramento who can leave Morocco without compensation. He has a very impressive CV

Join the conversation →

The longer West Ham lumber along like this, the further they will fall from the automatic promotion positions.

Thomas Frank tipped to replace Nuno Espirito Santo at West Ham United

It’s not as if there is a lack of alternatives, either. Scott Parker, Eddie Howe and Kieran McKenna are all out of work. That could change, though, especially with a few Premier League jobs likely to come available soon. We’re looking at you, Crystal Palace and Manchester United.

Spurs-supporting O’Hara, meanwhile, was as bemused by Nuno’s monotone post-match comments as he was delighted by another Hammers defeat on home soil. He and co-host Jason Cundy – who must surely be one midweek defeat in South Wales away from adding a Nuno mask to the Ange Postecoglou one already in his collection – agree on the identity of an ideal successor; Thomas Frank.

And there is no indication that O’Hara, who hated just about every minute of Frank’s Spurs tenure, is saying this with the intention of inflicting yet more pain on his old adversaries.

“It’s not good. Every time I hear Nuno doing an interview, it always feels like he’s got the same tone,” O’Hara tells talkSPORT. “I understand the frustration from West Ham fans. I completely get it, because they’re West Ham. They should be in the Premier League, and they’re not, and they’re getting schooled at home.

“I do like the Thomas Frank shout,” pipes in Cundy. “Thomas Frank is not a bad shout.”

“It feels like it fits, doesn’t it?” O’Hara agrees before chuckling at the suggestion that Eddie Howe – the ex-Newcastle boss is reportedly Man United’s preferred Michael Carrick replacement – could rock up at the London Stadium.

“Hold on, what do you mean Eddie Howe? We’re not going to get Eddie Howe at West Ham, are we? Eddie Howe has been linked to the Man United job…”

Former Brentford boss is in no rush after dismal Tottenham Hotspur spell

Frank, 53, has been out of work since February. He left West Ham’s bitter rivals Tottenham 16th in the top-flight, a win rate of 26.9 per cent the worst in the Premier League era until Igor Tudor arrived and said ‘hold my beer’.

Frank was also in the dugout when Callum Wilson snaffled a stoppage-time winner in January’s London derby. Yet, during nearly a decade as the head coach of Brentford, the Dane turned the Bees into perennial top-flight overachievers. It was also Frank who took Brentford to the Premier League in the first-time, via a play-off triumph over Parker’s Fulham at Wembley.

Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo, Ollie Watkins, David Raya and former Hammers winger Said Benhrama all reached previously unimaginable heights on Frank’s watch.

Via BBC Sport, Frank said in June that he would not rush into his next job. An underperforming Hammers side playing far worse than the sum of their parts may hold some appeal.

“There have been conversations and opportunities since leaving Spurs, but I have decided not to rush into the next role,” said a man who initially worked as Dean Smith’s assistant at Brentford.

“When the time is right, I will look forward to my return as a manager, ready to embrace the job with great energy and dedication.”

Right now, it is not certain who the club would turn to if indeed Nuno does drop more valuable points against Cardiff and Blackburn. Hammers News were told earlier this week that West Ham have not approached ex-Wolves coach Rob Edwards, though that could change if breaking point is reached.