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.
LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE
Bigger Cup is back, baby! Join Will Unwin for piping hot MBM coverage of Manchester United 2-2 Roma, while Luke McLaughlin is on hand for Barcelona 3-0 Aston Villa. Both games are an 8pm GMT kick-off, with buildup and team news from around 7pm.
RECOMMENDED LOOKING
The limits of English entertainment might stretch to watching the telly, thinking about your holidays, feeding the ducks and wishing you were far away but after Arsenal buzzkill Mikel Arteta announced that football is not part of the entertainment business, David Squires penned this cartoon for your … um … entertainment?
RECOMMENDED LISTENING
Get your ears around the latest episode of Women’s Football Weekly, with Faye Carruthers, Suzanne Wrack, Tom Garry and Freddie Cardy discussing the weekend’s WSL action.
NEWS, BITS AND BOBS
Newcastle were booed off by their own fans after a 1-0 home defeat to Everton on Monday. “Big frustration, big disappointment,” sobbed Magpies manager Matthias Jaissle. “Of course, the fans, they get frustrated like we are. We need to analyse it now in detail. It’s also clear that I have the responsibility, and I also take that as manager of this club. We need to do things better.”
The 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia has been postponed as a result of the conflict in the Middle East with the rescheduled tournament is expected to kick off in the 2027 Christmas break and finish in January 2028.
Fifa will grant access to documents regarding the doomed Fifa Forward Enterprise scheme to its council members, who will only be allowed to view the documents, of which the exact nature and scope are unclear, under strict confidentiality protocols at Fifa’s headquarters in Zurich.
Lawyer news! Aston Villa have dropped their threat of legal action against Jamie Carragher after an apology from the Sky Sports pundit, while Socceroos and Matildas players have sued Football Australia as part of a flamin’ multimillion dollar dispute between the governing body and its national team players.
And Manchester United cog Michael Carrick has insisted he is not concerned about Lisandro Martínez, which itself seems like something to be concerned about given the Argentinian’s recent behaviour.
MOVING THE GOALPOSTS
Claudia Efemini tells the story of the Nigeria women’s team’s fall from grace in the latest edition of our sister newsletter.
STILL WANT MORE?
“Arsenal are the best team in the league by some margin. It’s not just their depth, their cohesion and the wide variety of situations from which they can score goals, it’s that they now have belief and are picking up points at places where they have often failed in the past” – it’s Jonathan Wilson on the Gunners’ ominous form.
Meanwhile, Andrew Beasley delves behind the data of Liverpool’s defeat to Arsenal and explains what Florian Wirtz needs to do better. Former Premier League official Chris Foy argues that despite a Liverpool penalty appeal and a ‘clash’ of heads, referee Andy Madley and VAR should take credit for getting the major calls at Anfield correct.
In the week she turns 60 years of age, Marcela Mora y Araujo attended the Superclásico between Boca Juniors and River Plate and unearthed a lifetime of memories from the fixture.
Goals, guests and 6,561 scenarios: Ella Brockway goes behind the scenes at ESPN on the biggest NWSL Decision Day yet.
Paris FC are a fearsome force in Ligue 1 now that they have billions of euros in the boot and Liam Rosenior at the wheel. No, really, writes Luke Entwistle.
And Barney Ronay on Aston Villa’s visit to Barcelona and reminds us why a visit to Camp Nou will never just be “one more match” for Unai Emery.
MEMORY LANE
Aston Villa travel to Barcelona in Bigger Cup to play their first game against the Catalonian side since the 1982 Uefa Super Cup (which was actually played in January 1983). After Marcos Alonso gave Barcelona a first-leg lead at Camp Nou, the English side stormed back at Villa Park, with Gary Shaw striking late to force extra time. Gordon Cowans nudged Villa in front, scoring the rebound from his own botched penalty, before a magnificent diving header from Ken McNaught sealed victory for Anthony Barton’s side. You can read more about that goal – and the match in general, which was blighted by cynical Barcelona tactics – in Paul Doyle’s Golden Goal article.
