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On this page
- Why did West Ham sack Nuno Espírito Santo?
- Who is the new West Ham manager?
- Who is in charge of West Ham against Cardiff?
- What’s next for West Ham under Scott Parker?
- What are the latest next West Ham manager odds?
- How do next West Ham manager bets work?
- Should you bet on the next West Ham manager?
- Which sports welcome offers can you use?
- How do you stay in control when betting on football news?
- Sources checked
- FAQs
Last checked 4 November 2026 by Tom Perkins, Editor (13:10 GMT). News is from West Ham United’s announcement and the outlets listed under Sources; fixtures from BBC Sport and Sky Sports; the table from BBC Sport. We don’t quote next West Ham manager odds on this page (see below why).
Scott Parker is the new West Ham manager. West Ham confirmed the 46-year-old as their men’s first-team head coach on Wednesday 4 November 2026, on a two-and-a-half-year contract, a day after sacking Nuno Espírito Santo. Parker, a former West Ham captain, takes charge for the first time at Cardiff City in the Championship on Wednesday 4 November (19:45 GMT). The Hammers are eighth in the table after 13 games, six points behind leaders Middlesbrough. This page sets out who Parker is, what comes next for West Ham and how “next manager” bets are settled. Checked on 4 November 2026 (West Ham United, BBC Sport, The Guardian).
Why did West Ham sack Nuno Espírito Santo?
West Ham sacked Nuno Espírito Santo because of results: back-to-back home defeats, 3-2 to Southampton and 3-1 to West Bromwich Albion, left them eighth in the Championship after 13 games, when they had been widely expected to go straight back up. The club said Nuno “has left his position with immediate effect” and that, after “a thorough review of the start to the EFL Championship season”, the board believed “a change is necessary at this time in order to ensure that the club’s objectives and expectations remain on track” (West Ham United). Assistant head coach Rui Pedro Silva and goalkeeper coach Rui Barbosa have also left. The key facts:
| New head coach | Scott Parker, 46, confirmed by West Ham United on Wednesday 4 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| Contract | Two and a half years (West Ham United) |
| Replaces | Nuno Espírito Santo, sacked on Tuesday 3 November 2026 with immediate effect. Assistant head coach Rui Pedro Silva and goalkeeper coach Rui Barbosa also left |
| Coaching staff | First-team coaches Steve Potts, Gerard Prenderville and Billy Lepine assist Parker; sporting director Mark Noble works closely with him. The club says more on the backroom staff will follow |
| First game | Cardiff City v West Ham, Championship, Wednesday 4 November 2026, 19:45 GMT |
| League position | 8th in the Championship: 22 points from 13 games (W6 D4 L3, 33 scored, 18 conceded), six points behind leaders Middlesbrough and four behind second-placed Birmingham City (BBC Sport table, read 4 November) |
| Last two games | West Ham 2-3 Southampton and West Ham 1-3 West Brom (Saturday 31 October), both at the London Stadium |
| Recent managers | David Moyes (left May 2024), Julen Lopetegui, Graham Potter, Nuno Espírito Santo, now Scott Parker: the club’s fourth permanent manager since Moyes left (BBC Sport) |
Nuno took over from Graham Potter in September 2025 (The Guardian). He couldn’t keep West Ham in the Premier League, and the club kept him on after relegation in May. According to BBC Sport, West Ham failed to win any of their first three league games, then won four in a row in September, but have won only two of their last six. After the West Brom defeat Nuno said: “We have conceded six goals at home in two games and we have to fix it” (Sky Sports).
Who is the new West Ham manager?
Scott Parker is the new West Ham manager. West Ham said on 4 November that their former captain “has agreed a deal to become the Club’s new men’s first-team Head Coach” and has signed a two-and-a-half year contract. Interim chief executive Karim Virani said Parker was “the unanimous choice of the Board” (West Ham United). BBC Sport and The Guardian report the appointment too.
- Championship record: Parker has won promotion from the Championship to the Premier League three times as a manager, with Fulham (2020), Bournemouth (2022) and Burnley (2025). He was the EFL Championship Manager of the Season for 2024/25 with Burnley (West Ham United).
- Elsewhere: he couldn’t keep Fulham in the Premier League in 2020/21, left Bournemouth a few weeks into the 2022/23 Premier League season and briefly managed Club Brugge in Belgium in 2022/23 (BBC Sport).
- Burnley exit: he left Burnley in April 2026 after their relegation from the Premier League, and had been out of work since (BBC Sport, The Guardian).
- West Ham links: Parker made 129 appearances for West Ham between 2007 and 2011, was named Hammer of the Year three times in a row and won the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award in 2010/11 (West Ham United).
Parker told the club website: “It is a very proud moment for me to step into this role and return to a Club that means so much to me and my family.” On the Championship, he said: “I’ve been in this division three times and I’ve got out of this division three times” (West Ham United).
Who is in charge of West Ham against Cardiff?
Scott Parker is in charge of West Ham against Cardiff City on Wednesday 4 November 2026 (19:45 GMT), his first game as head coach, the club confirmed. First-team coaches Steve Potts, Gerard Prenderville and Billy Lepine will assist him, and Mark Noble, his former team-mate and now West Ham’s sporting director, will work closely with him. West Ham say further details of Parker’s permanent backroom staff will be announced in due course (West Ham United). Cardiff are 18th in the Championship with 14 points from 13 games (BBC Sport table).
What’s next for West Ham under Scott Parker?
Parker’s first game is Cardiff City away on Wednesday 4 November 2026 (19:45 GMT), followed by Blackburn Rovers away on Saturday 7 November. After the November international break, West Ham host Preston North End on Saturday 21 November. These are West Ham’s next five Championship fixtures, as listed by BBC Sport and Sky Sports on 4 November 2026:
| Date (UK time) | Match | TV |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 4 November 2026, 19:45 GMT | Cardiff City v West Ham | Sky Sports |
| Saturday 7 November 2026, 15:00 GMT | Blackburn Rovers v West Ham | Not listed |
| Saturday 21 November 2026, 15:00 GMT | West Ham v Preston North End | Not listed |
| Tuesday 24 November 2026, 19:45 GMT | Portsmouth v West Ham | Sky Sports |
| Saturday 28 November 2026, 15:00 GMT | West Ham v Stoke City | Not listed |
Kick-off times can change for TV, so check the club or the EFL before the day.
What are the latest next West Ham manager odds?
We don’t show prices on this page. With Scott Parker appointed, the next West Ham manager market has been decided. The prices we found before the announcement didn’t say which bookmaker they came from or when they were set, so we couldn’t check them. If you look at a manager market for another club, check when the price was set and use our implied probability guide to see what a price means as a percentage. Our betting odds explained guide covers fractional and decimal odds.
For other clubs, our sack race odds page covers Premier League managers under pressure, next Man Utd manager odds covers Michael Carrick at Manchester United, and next Celtic manager covers Martin O’Neill’s position in Scotland.
How do next West Ham manager bets work?
A “next permanent West Ham manager” bet wins only if your selection is appointed as the club’s next permanent manager or head coach. It is settled when West Ham name Nuno’s permanent successor, not when an interim takes a game. West Ham named Scott Parker as their permanent head coach on 4 November 2026, so under rules like the ones below a bet on Parker wins and the other selections lose. Check how and when your bookmaker settles. As an example of how one bookmaker settles these markets, Sky Bet’s football specials rules (checked on 22 October 2026 for our Man Utd page) say:
- Caretakers and interims: don’t count unless they complete at least 10 competitive games, in which case they are treated as the permanent manager. This didn’t come into play at West Ham: Parker was appointed before the Cardiff game.
- Unlisted managers: if someone who wasn’t quoted is appointed, all bets stand, so every listed selection loses.
- Directors of football: an appointment of a director of football doesn’t count.
Other bookmakers write their own rules on interims, void bets and job titles, so read the rules where you bet. “Next Championship manager to leave” is a different bet: it pays on who is the first to go, not on who replaces him.
Should you bet on the next West Ham manager?
We don’t tip manager markets. The next West Ham manager market is settled now that the club has announced Parker, so there is nothing left to bet on in it. If you bet on another club’s manager market, treat it as entertainment, with a fixed budget you can afford to lose. Before using a welcome free bet on a specials market, check that the offer allows it: our guide to how free bets work explains the usual restrictions.
Which sports welcome offers can you use?
New customer offers from UK-licensed bookmakers are below, with the significant terms next to each one. Each needs a deposit and a qualifying bet. Read the terms before you sign up, including any rules on which markets the free bets can be used on. Compare bookmakers in our UK betting site reviews.
How do you stay in control when betting on football news?
Manager markets are betting on news, and news can turn in minutes. Set a budget, don’t chase a price after it has moved, and use the deposit limits and time-outs every UK-licensed bookmaker offers. Free, confidential support is available from BeGambleAware.org and the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. Our responsible gambling page lists more help.
Sources checked
- West Ham United: Scott Parker appointed West Ham United Head Coach (4 November 2026)
- BBC Sport: West Ham confirm Parker as boss (4 November 2026, 09:30 GMT)
- The Guardian: West Ham confirm Scott Parker as head coach after sacking Nuno Espírito Santo (4 November 2026)
- BBC Sport: West Ham United scores and fixtures, read 4 November 2026
- West Ham United: Club statement (3 November 2026)
- BBC Sport: West Ham approach Parker after sacking boss Nuno (3 November 2026)
- Sky Sports: Nuno Espírito Santo sacked by West Ham, with upcoming fixtures (3 November 2026, 11:52)
- The Guardian: West Ham turn to Scott Parker after sacking Nuno (3 November 2026) and The Telegraph: Scott Parker to replace sacked Nuno at West Ham (3 November 2026)
- BBC Sport: Championship table, read 3 and 4 November 2026
- Sky Bet help centre: Football Specials Rules (next permanent manager), checked 22 October 2026
Affiliate disclosure: onlinebetfree.co.uk may receive a commission if you open an account through links on this page. This does not affect the offers we list or how we describe them, and it never changes the terms a bookmaker gives you.
FAQs
Who is the next West Ham manager?
Scott Parker. West Ham confirmed him as men's first-team head coach on Wednesday 4 November 2026, on a two-and-a-half-year contract, a day after sacking Nuno Espírito Santo (West Ham United).
Why did West Ham sack Nuno Espírito Santo?
After back-to-back home defeats by Southampton (3-2) and West Brom (3-1) left West Ham eighth in the Championship after 13 games. The board said a change was necessary to keep the club's objectives on track.
When is Scott Parker's first game as West Ham manager?
Cardiff City v West Ham in the Championship on Wednesday 4 November 2026, 7.45pm UK time. Then Blackburn Rovers v West Ham on Saturday 7 November at 3pm (BBC Sport, Sky Sports).
Who are Scott Parker's assistants at West Ham?
First-team coaches Steve Potts, Gerard Prenderville and Billy Lepine, with sporting director Mark Noble working closely with him. West Ham say more details of the backroom staff will follow (West Ham United).
How are next West Ham manager bets settled?
A next permanent manager bet wins only if your selection is appointed permanently. Parker was appointed on 4 November 2026, so under rules like Sky Bet's a bet on him wins; Sky Bet also counts a caretaker only after at least 10 competitive games. Other bookmakers set their own rules, so check where you bet.