Football Daily | West Ham want promotion – so it’s time to call in an understated club legend

HAMMER TIME While Football Daily hasn’t actually seen much of West Ham this season, we’ve noted enough of their results to presume they were doing OK in their attempt to bounce back to the Premier League after relegation. Less than a third of the way through the Championship season under Nuno Espírito Santo, they’d already spanked six without reply past both Wrexham and Lincoln, while scoring three or more in wins over Wolves, Derby and Bolton. However, it turns out that of the 13 matches they’ve played in a league that is famously difficult to get out of (unless you were Sheffield Wednesday last season), they have actually lost three times and currently sit in eighth place, a whopping six points off leaders Middlesbrough. Given the context of such an unbridgeable chasm, it is small wonder West Ham fans woke up to news that Nuno had been unceremoniously bounced out of the London Stadium with a P45 in hand.

Coming on the back of consecutive home defeats by Southampton and West Brom, Tuesday’s news won’t have come as a huge surprise to Hammers fans, treated to the sight of a sad Nuno on the London Stadium touchline on Saturday, eyes glazed and grey beard glistening in the early evening mist as he stared blankly in the direction of several celebrating Baggies. “West Ham United can confirm that men’s first-team head coach Nuno Espírito Santo has left his position with immediate effect,” droned a club statement. “Following a thorough review of the start to the EFL Championship season, the board of directors believe that a change is necessary at this time in order to ensure that the club’s objectives and expectations remain on track.”

Determined to secure one of the two automatic promotion places up for grabs, West Ham have decided to nip any prospective long-term slump in the bud by approaching Scott Parker. An understated club legend of sorts, the 46-year-old is best known for wearing expensive Thom Browne four-bar ripstop blouson jackets in his technical area while masterminding immediate promotion to the Premier League for the only three English clubs he has managed thus far.

Indeed, it is a testament to the breezy optimism of certain West Ham fans on several Social Media Disgraces that they are already discussing how dismal Parker’s Premier League record is, while arguing over who should replace him when he becomes the first top-flight gaffer to get sacked in 12 months’ time. With their team having scored 33 goals in their opening 13 games this season, West Ham fans can now presumably look forward to seeing them bag the same number in their remaining fixtures as they clock up 33 consecutive, risk-averse 1-0 wins. It may not be the fabled West Ham way but it will do until the next guy comes along.

JESÚS DE MIGUEL (1996-2026) “Heartbroken, with a lump in our throats and unable to believe this is true, CD Tenerife announces the tragic death, this Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at 8am, of Jesús de Miguel Alameda. There are no words of comfort; there is absolutely nothing that can lessen this overwhelming sadness. We stand with his grieving family, with his loved ones, with all of Tenerife who mourn this cruel loss today. The family of Jesús de Miguel is grateful for each and every expression of support received, and also requests, from the bottom of their hearts, the utmost respect for their privacy during these terrible times” – Tenerife have announced the death of striker Jesús de Miguel, who died after a collision with the Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono during a match in Spain’s second division. De Miguel suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest and did not regain consciousness.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS While my heart aches for Jesús de Miguel, who has died after a collision with the Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono, I shudder to think the trauma that shall haunt Owono for the rest of his life. I do hope and pray the wider community understands and extends their support in his recuperation” – Krishna Moorthy.

As an upgrade to Steve Plever’s suggestion of paper thin shirts [Monday’s letters]: how about Velcro shirts? If the bit comes off, it is a shirt pull and the offender has the honour of putting it back in place before being awarded a yellow card” – Mike Harold.

To dive or not to dive seems to be biggest dilemma in the Premier League right now. It’s not. The problem with today’s highly paid professionals is that they simply have no panache at all when they go down. I recall watching Francis Lee pick up the ball on the halfway line at a mud soaked Maine Road in the late 1960s, he put his head down and headed for goal, he was determined, he was single minded. He was 30 yards from goal, he was in full flow. He was tackled from behind and then he really took off, he grew wings, he soared. I swear he landed in the penalty area over 10 yards away. He dragged himself to his feet and without a semblance of a smile smashed the well-deserved penalty, with a very heavy leather ball straight at the centre of the goal at over 70 mph. The goalkeeper, obviously no fool, simply dived out of the way. The press christened him “Lee Won Pen” He was my hero. That man had panache, he had style” – Myles Flynn.

I am interested to read that Aston Villa considered the words of Jamie Carragher “unacceptable insults”. It would obviously help matters if they could publish examples of acceptable insults” – Rupert Jeffery.

Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s letter o’ the day goes to … Mike Harold, who wins a copy of Programmes! by Richard Crooks. It’s out now and available to buy on the Pitch Publishing website. Terms and conditions for our competitions are here.

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