Nuno Espirito Santo conceded that West Ham supporters were justified in singing that his squad were "not fit to wear the shirt" following their damaging 3-1 loss at Newcastle on Sunday.
The Portuguese manager acknowledged the pain caused by the defeat, which has pushed the Hammers to the edge of dropping out of the top flight.
"It hurts a lot, of course. This is our job, this is our life, but the fans are right and today they show their anger and frustration and they have reasons to," Nuno said.
"It hurts, it hurts the boys, it hurts us, it hurts the club."
West Ham are staring at relegation after defeat to Newcastle
|REUTERS
West Ham now sit in 18th position, three points adrift of safety with just one match remaining in the campaign.
Their fate is no longer entirely in their own hands, with Tottenham holding a game in hand against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening.
The Hammers require Roberto De Zerbi's side to defeat their London rivals to keep any realistic survival hopes alive heading into the final day.
Tottenham's significantly better goal difference of minus nine compared to West Ham's minus 22 means even a draw at Stamford Bridge would effectively seal Spurs' Premier League status and leave Nuno's men teetering on the brink.
The hosts seized control through two goals in a devastating four-minute spell during the opening period.
Nuno Espirito Santo now needs a miracle for West Ham to stay up
|REUTERS
Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen's overhit pass to Jean-Clair Todibo allowed Harvey Barnes to intercept and set up Nick Woltemade, who netted his first league goal since December in the 15th minute.
William Osula doubled Newcastle's advantage shortly afterwards, slotting through Hermansen's legs after Jacob Ramsey's incisive forward pass.
The Danish striker added his second of the afternoon following the interval, finishing from Joe Willock's cutback to seemingly end any hopes of a West Ham fightback.
Substitute Valentin Castellanos pulled one back with a stunning long-range strike and subsequently struck the crossbar, but it proved insufficient.
Nuno described the coming days as particularly challenging for everyone connected with the club.
"Bad performance and a bad day for us. It's going to be a tough week ahead. After today, it's going to be a very tough week," he stated.
🗣️ "Let's try to finish the season with dignity, with respect for the club"
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 17, 2026
Nuno Espírito Santo reacts after West Ham's defeat to Newcastle. pic.twitter.com/uRo4gxGvfg
The West Ham boss insisted his players must demonstrate proper respect for their supporters in their remaining fixtures.
"That's why this week we should finish the season with dignity and respect for the fans," Nuno added.
"We should do better so we can show at the London Stadium to our fans a different performance and attitude in terms of the game."
The Hammers conclude their campaign at home to Leeds.