West Ham United

Holly Turbutt
Fan contributor

Image source, Getty Images

Season score out of 10 and overriding emotion?

A disappointing 2/10, with relegation making it impossible to give anything higher. I would have given it 1/10, but I've offered an extra point because we had an upturn in form after January that reminded us why we love football.

Best moment and why?

It has to be our 4-0 win at home over Wolves. Taty Castellanos and Konstantinos Mavropanos both scored twice to pull us out of the relegation zone - it was a moment when we came back from having no faith to having a fighting chance.

Player of the season and why?

Mateus Fernandes. We went from having a completely uninspiring midfield that couldn't link up play, to having one that could compete at Premier League level. Fernandes really turned things around for us in this area - always looking to play the ball forwards and break through the lines.

Unsung hero and why?

Tomas Soucek. He always works hard, never complains and remains faithful to West Ham, even when times have been tough. He's one that you know you can rely on - even in the most challenging battles - to set an example and put everything on the line.

Biggest disappointment?

The way West Ham threw away points this season. There were so many opportunities for us to pick up points, but we conceded late so many times. Ultimately, these are the moments that relegated us.

What needs to change this summer?

The way we do business because we've reached a point where the lack of clear direction has cost us the ultimate price. We need to invest wisely, find our identity again, establish better communication with fans and build a team - with everyone working towards the same goal of getting us back into the Premier League.

Major hope for next season?

To get back into the Premier League. If West Ham don't get promotion, I can see our financial struggles making it very difficult to get back up any time soon. I'm keeping the faith. COYI!

Find more from Holly Turbutt at West Ham Network, external

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Watch former Premier League winger Andros Townsend discuss who is to blame for West Ham's relegation from the Premier League.

"For West Ham it has been a slow decline," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"Clubs like Brighton, Bournemouth and Brentford have a clear structure and plan from the top.

"If a manager leaves they have a manager to come in and not change everything. At West Ham there is no real plan at the top. You go from David Moyes to Julen Lopetegui to Graham Potter and back to Nuno.

"You're going from different styles but keeping the same players. They have spent the money but they are just spending and doing things without any plans.

"That's why we've seen West Ham drop into the Championship, not because of the manager or the players."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

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Captain Jarrod Bowen says West Ham fans deserve an apology after the Hammers were relegated from the Premier League.

On Bowen's Instagram, the 29-year-old said: "It's hard to post something like this when all you're feeling is embarrassment and pain.

"I could write loads trying to explain where it all went wrong this season, but honestly what you deserve from me is an apology."

The England international was appointed as the club captain ahead of the 2024-25 season and was part of West Ham's side to win the Conference League in 2023, ending a 43-year wait for a major trophy.

"Winning that trophy in Prague was the best night of my career. Sunday was the worst," he wrote.

"We just weren't good enough. Simple as that. And that's why the season ended the way it did."

Hammers fans have protested for boardroom changes throughout the 2025-26 campaign, with some fan protests occurring in the London Stadium.

Bowen added: "To the fans, you didn't let us down once. The support home and away never changed, even when things weren't good enough from us on the pitch. We should have given you more. You deserved more."

The east London club have had 14 consecutive seasons in the Premier League since their promotion with Sam Allardyce as boss in 2012.

West Ham signed Bowen from then Championship side Hull City in 2020. He gained his first England cap from Sir Gareth Southgate in 2022 but the forward has missed out on selection for Thomas Tuchel's squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup.

"One thing I know about this club is that it has the desire and fight to bounce back from this. This club belongs in the Premier League and deserves to be back there as soon as possible," said Bowen.

As Bowen's future is in the balance, who do you think West Ham need to keep next season to bounce back from relegation - let us know your views by using this form

Watch the panel on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club discuss who could takeover at West Ham should Nuno Espirito Santo depart following relegation.

"If West Ham are winning a lot in the Championship then most fans won't care particularly about the style of play," said The Observer's Rory Smith.

"My worry for West Ham is if they appoint a manager to get them out of the Championship but you're not sure if they can establish you in the Premier League.

"Scott Parker is a good example of this. Are you not just locking yourself into another short-term cycle?

"The club's that really struggle in the Premier League are the ones who don't think at least a bit long-term."

"I think Scott Parker should be a no-brainer for West Ham," added former Premier League winner Andros Townsend.

"Not only does he have the knowledge to get clubs out of the Championship but he is a club legend and someone the fans love. He will get bums on seats and then it's down to performances to keep them there. It could be a massive coup for West Ham to get someone like Scott Parker."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

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Now the curtain has come down on the 2025-26 Premier League campaign, here is my end-of-season review - with a look back to what I predicted in August.

Prediction: 13th

It was such disappointment for a fiercely loyal set of fans to watch this season fizzle away to relegation. The soulless bowl that is London Stadium, so unpopular with fans after their beloved, atmospheric Upton Park, will now play host to Championship football.

Graham Potter was sacked in September after only eight months and, while Nuno Espirito Santo occasionally suggested he could take West Ham clear of relegation, they were simply not good enough.

This may not be an instant return for a club in need of a fresh start.

What I said in August: "I'm not really expecting fireworks in east London this season."

Check out the rest of my review here

Scott Parker, who recently left Burnley, and Strasbourg's Gary O'Neil are of interest to West Ham if they part company with boss Nuno Espirito Santo this summer. (Guardian), external

Meanwhile, Roma are keen on West Ham winger Crysencio Summerville as they gear up for the Champions League next term. (La Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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We asked for your views on whether you would like Nuno Espirito Santo to stay or go after BBC Sport's Simon Stone reported he would be meeting the club's hierarchy to assess the situation after the Hammers were relegated on the final day of the season.

Here are some of your comments:

Rob: Nuno should stay. He is a good manager if given the tools needed. That is the problem, though. You could have the best manager in the world in charge, but if you don't have a plan, structure or someone buying what is good for the team and not the purse or preferred agents, things will never work.

Robert: He needs to go. He has destroyed West Ham. We will have to sell most of our more talented players because of his poor management. Think about it, he has been fired from every club he has managed.

Bill: The season suffered from a poor start, decisions made by the board with regards to managers and transfers. Nuno, though a bit defensive, has refreshed the squad, which gelled and improved towards the end of the season. Sadly, this was just too late, but if the squad can be kept together, a quick return is hoped for.

Terry: He should definitely leave now. The Championship is no place for defensive football. We need to be on the front foot early on, every team will be after our scalp so we cannot play negative football.

Alan: He should stay. West Ham improved a lot under Nuno and I believe he'll get us back into the Premier League again.

Richard: Go. He has not done a decent enough job. Some of his player choices and subs made were strange. We need a new manager in the Championship. I suggest Mark Noble as manager and Kevin Nolan as his deputy. They've both been Hammers and know West Ham.

John: The decline was on before he arrived. I believe he can take the club back up in one season as long as Jarrod Bowen and a few key players stay.

David: Nuno should obviously stay. It took him a while to get the team in shape, but when he did, given the squad he has, he did really well under all the circumstances and pressure.

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo is meeting senior management on Monday to assess the impact of relegation to the Championship amid a belief he is likely to leave the club.

Nuno refused to say whether he would remain at London Stadium in the aftermath of failing to prevent the club dropping out of the Premier League for the first time since 2011.

What do you think? Should Nuno stay or go? Tell us

James Jones
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham's relegation to the Championship is the result of years of mismanagement at almost every level.

Owner David Sullivan has drifted from one reactive decision to another, without any real idea of what direction he wants the club to travel in, for too long now.

There has never really been a long-term vision under his stewardship - and certainly never a strategy.

Haphazard player recruitment, often driven by favoured agents, and cheap managerial appointments will be what many people point towards as the main reason behind the club's second relegation since Sullivan and David Gold bought it in 2010.

But it goes much deeper than that.

The move from Upton Park to London Stadium, and the way it was engineered by those in charge of the club, will never be forgiven by fans.

The training ground hasn't had significant investment either, with many of West Ham's Championship rivals next season having far better facilities.

Fans and neutrals will blame those who called for David Moyes to leave the club in 2024, despite the success he brought over a glorious four-year period. Moyes had stabilised West Ham and given it an identity, despite Sullivan's best attempts to sanitise the club and turn it into a London tourist attraction.

But there-in lies the issue.

Moyes' departure, whether you wanted him gone or not, exposed West Ham's lack of direction and identity after all.

There was clearly no plan for what came next, no plan for how to build on it, and no plan around pushing on. Julen Lopetegui came in and flopped. Graham Potter did the same after him. Nuno Espirito Santo showed signs of steadying the ship, but also made mistakes.

And now we are here - back in the Championship with over £100m worth of debt to manage.

If ever there was a time to admit defeat and walk away from the club, it is now. This latest crisis has shown that Sullivan is no longer fit for purpose.

West Ham deserves better. The fans deserve better. Enough is enough.

Find more from James Jones at We Are West Ham, external

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Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer reacting to West Ham's relegation:

"You can't be unlucky after 38 games, the fact of the matter is you deserve to go down. They have been really poor for long periods and eventually what happens at the top of the football club filters down to the pitch.

"That's what has happened at West Ham. Not good enough defensively, haven't scored enough goals and ultimately their recruitment over the years has been really really poor. So, they are not unlucky.

"In the three years since David Moyes has left they've had 10 players who have been signed for £25m or more. You could argue only Summerville, Fernandes and maybe Castellanos who have been successes. They are nowhere near getting value for money.

"Recruitment is such a big job and clearly that has hurt them over the last three years."

Manchester United record goalscorer Wayne Rooney added: "I think they are good players but I also think the teams who have come up recruited well which has allowed them to stay in the Premier League.

"I've watched West Ham quite a few times this season and this is damning for the players. I don't think the players have given enough. I've seen them walking back, not getting to the ball to get tackles in, stop crosses, and those are the fine margins you have to get right."

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We asked for your thoughts and feelings after West Ham were relegated from the Premier League.

Here are some of your comments:

Alfie: I feel we deserved a win at the end of it all. Been a tough season to be a West Ham fan. We just can't let it come down to the last day, we should have been clear by last week. Still hope that Nuno stays on for next season and the only way is up I guess. COYI.

Dave: Did what we had to do today, but sadly it was not enough. A poor season punctuated by a few encouraging results in the latter part of the campaign. A major shake up of the team lies ahead for a real challenge next year.

Blake: Disappointed - reality finally hits. We played alright today, but haven't been good enough this season. Some good players but not enough urgency all season. Looking forward to Lincoln away days.

Michele: I'm absolutely gutted obviously, but the season been horrendous and if I'm brutally honest, this result was inevitable. Sad, but hopefully they will bounce back next season. I have been following West Ham for 50 years, awful day.

David: It was inevitable, despite some rallying after Christmas. It's how we rebuild that matters now. No point going back and blaming this and that. We need to realise we are in the Championship and let's get back as soon as possible.

Sean: Gutted, but we simply weren't good enough throughout the season. Had chances but Nuno blew it several times by playing too defensively. Still, it's a great opportunity now to give younger players the opportunity to shine. COYI.

Adam: Disappointed. Owner's/board are at fault - they appointed the wrong manager and we were left with a hole too deep to dig ourselves out of. Nuno has to take some responsibility too for some of the team selections and tactics for the second half of the season. We now need to take our medicine, rebuild and bounce straight back.

Tim: We've only got ourselves to blame - the table doesn't lie! Hopefully this spells the end of David Sullivan and with the poor recruitment, it's time for a reset!

Huw: Goal difference doesn't lie. Just not good enough in the end. Looking forward to a trip to Preston on a cold wet Tuesday in January!

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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There will be departures from a West Ham squad where contractual clauses mean most players would take significant wage cuts, up to 50% in some instances, in the event of relegation, BBC Sport has been told.

Axel Diasi, Adama Traore and Callum Wilson are all out of contract in the summer.

Captain Jarrod Bowen is the crown jewel in West Ham's squad.

Along with Tomas Soucek and goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, he is one of only three players who started the Fiorentina triumph still at the club.

Bowen's status was factored into the seven-year contract he signed four months later. The question is, will he stay?

Although he is clearly one of their most saleable assets, the hope is Bowen will lead a promotion charge.

Midfielder Mateus Fernandes has been linked with Paris St-Germain and Manchester United and seems certain to move on, with West Ham hoping for a significant profit on the £40m they paid for him last August.

Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf cost £19m from Slavia Prague in July. He is also a player West Ham could make a profit on.

The problem is there are plenty of others West Ham will struggle to shift, given some calamitous recruitment since that famous night in Prague - the £105m subsequently received from Arsenal for Declan Rice, and more, has been squandered.

They paid £40m to sign Max Kilman from Wolves in 2024 on a seven-year contract. He hasn't played a single minute since the end of January.

Germany striker Niclas Fullkrug signed a four-year deal in 2024, when he was 31. He joined AC Milan on loan in January after scoring just three goals in 29 appearances for the Hammers in an injury-troubled spell.

James Ward-Prowse still has another year left on the contract he signed in August 2023. He started seven games and was a substitute in another five after joining Burnley on loan in January.

The list goes on.

Read more about the impacts of West Ham's relegation here

Manchester Unitedhave enquired about the signing of West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, with Arsenal and Paris St-Germain also monitoring the 21-year-old Portugal international, who is valued at £80m. (Mail - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Pundits Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from all 10 fixtures on the final day of the Premier League season.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Tottenham 1-0 Everton

• West Ham United 3-0 Leeds United

• Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal

• Brighton 0-3 Manchester United

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo, speaking to Sky Sports: "Tough, tough day for us, especially for our fans.

"We knew it was going to be difficult, it was not in our hands. We did our part and we hoped for the best - it didn't happen. We have to pass the sad moment that we are living."

On his future: "Our respect for the supporters means it is not the moment to talk about the future. We have to apologise to them, thank them for the support.

"All these boys were able to establish a good relationship with the fans. They've helped us so much, even today with knowing the result, they gave us energy.

"We should understand the day, tomorrow will be a new one and we'll start thinking about what we have to do."

His message to the fans: "West Ham has to be in the Premier League. We are a big club that has to be in the Premier League. West Ham are going to need their support. The club plays better when we are with them and it makes us proud the way we established this support with our supporters.

"It is a very difficult moment for all of us: the board, the staff, the coaches, the players and more than anything, the fans. It is going to hurt, it is going to be tough.

"But one thing is for sure, West Ham has to be in the Premier League."

Captain Jarrod Bowen, speaking to BBC Match of the Dayon how it feels to be relegated: "Just hurt. I've been here six-and-a-half years now. Had a lot of good moments and this outweighs all of it. Getting this club relegated - it hurts.

"We shouldn't be in the position we're in but we've found ourselves in it and we've not done enough to stay up. Hurt is the only thing."

On going down with 39 points: "We've had so many games when we could have got different results. You can individualise every single game. You can't look back at every game but in some games we didn't show the levels consistently enough."

On his own future: "It's disrespectful to everyone to start talking about that. I want this club to be in the Premier League. It's a club that means so much to me and has given me so much so my vision is to get this club back in the Premier League."

Did you know?

• West Ham have been relegated from the Premier League for the first time since 2010-11, with their 39 points the most by a side to go down since both Birmingham and Blackpool went down on 39 in 2010-11.

• Had only results from Nuno Espirito Santo's first game in charge on 29 September this season counted, the Hammers would have finished 16th in the Premier League with 36 points (W9 D9 L15).

• Bowen assisted 11 Premier League goals this season, his most ever in a single season. Only Paolo Di Canio in 1999-00 (13) and Dimitri Payet in 2015-16 (12) have more in a season for West Ham, and only Muzzy Izzet (14 in 2003-04 for Leicester) has more assists for a relegated team in one campaign.

Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham were always up against it going into this match as they sat two points behind Tottenham with a vastly inferior goal difference.

That led to an air of acceptance among the fans before kick-off that relegation was inevitable and a disappointing first-half display from their side did little to give them optimism.

That led to some boos and groans of frustration at half time as it appeared the Hammers were going down with a whimper, but to the players' credit they battled in the second half and got the lead they needed to put the pressure back on to Spurs .

But as it became clear that Everton were not going to turn things around at Spurs, the West Ham fans vented their anger at their plight towards the club's hierarchy with chants against chairman David Sullivan.

Their frustrations are certainly understandable as just three years ago they won their first major silverware in 43 years as David Moyes led them to the Europa Conference League title.

But three years on, they are now preparing for life in the second tier of English football and plenty of uncertainty around the future of their players and manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

The last time West Ham were in the Championship, their stay was only brief as they bounced back at the first time of asking. Whether that can be repeated depends on what happens in the coming months.

West Ham's relegation fate was sealed thanks to Tottenham's win over Everton, despite a final day victory over Leeds.

A season that looked bleak before Nuno Espirito Santo's arrival does ultimately end in bitter disappointment despite an improvement in recent months.

Now, the Championship awaits...

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know how you are feeling.

Get in touch with your views here

Come back to this page for a selection of your replies - reaction and analysis to follow shortly