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Former Leeds United manager Simon Grayson has admitted that he hopes the chaos at West Ham United continues, as it only benefits the teams above them, mainly the Whites.
West Ham have gone ten Premier League games without a win, with whispers mounting that manager Nuno Espirito Santo’s job was hanging by a thread before the defeat to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night.
With Nuno getting just two wins in November, it marks the worst start any West Ham manager has endured in the Premier League era, leaving the London club stuck in 18th place, seven points adrift of safety, with fans seething with frustration.
Meanwhile, Leeds enjoyed an unbeaten December, using the run to recover from a shaky start and climb to 16th, leaving the Irons eight points adrift.
Grayson pointed to the scale of the gap between Leeds and West Ham and suggested that the situation at the London Stadium is being shaped by broader instability, both on and off the pitch.
He indicated that ongoing turmoil, underwhelming performances from the players, and dissatisfaction among supporters toward the ownership and board have contributed to a sense of disconnection throughout the club.
In his view, the lack of cohesion could play into the hands of the teams above them, including Leeds, if there is no swift turnaround, with the ongoing issues only strengthening the position of those clubs, and he made clear he would welcome the situation dragging on for as long as it benefits Leeds.
Season
Position
2024–25
14th
2023–24
9th
2022–23
14th
2021–22
7th
2020–21
6th
West Ham United’s last five league finishes
When asked if the gap is significant, Grayson said on LUTV (3:19): “Well, it is, and then you throw into the mix a lot of turmoil that’s going off at West Ham, that the players don’t seem to be producing performances.
“The fans are negative with the owners and the board.
“There’s lots of disconnection between everybody at this moment in time, and that can only favour the clubs above them because if that doesn’t change very quickly, and long may it continue until it’s mathematically impossible for them to stay up.”
West Ham’s board have wasted no time in trying to steady a squad that have struggled through the first half of the season, adding strikers Taty Castellanos and Pablo Felipe to boost their attacking options.
Despite the reinforcements, a Leeds legend has cast doubt on the Hammers’ ability to close the gap on the Whites.
Attention has now shifted to strengthening midfield, with Nigerian talent Tochukwu Nnadi on their radar as a potential reinforcement.
With relegation looming, questions continue to swirl over how long the Portuguese boss will remain in charge.
West Ham face QPR this weekend in the FA Cup and Martin Keown believes it is a taste of what is to come over the next few seasons for the Hammers.