Those who watch West Ham United regularly will tell you the club have been sleepwalking to relegation from the moment a ball was kicked in anger in August. Some would probably argue the drift began when David Moyes left the club for the second time in the summer of 2024.West Ham will wake up next season in the Championship after a season that has been an unmitigated mess on and off the pitch. Leadership voids, managerial turnover, a scattergun approach to recruitment and unrest in the stands have all combined to send the club down to the second tier for the first time since 2011.Ten years on from their move to the London Stadium — one that was supposed to help the club compete with the Premier League’s elite — the general mood among the club’s fans has been one of misery and detachment, with protests against chairman David Sullivan and the now-departed vice-chair Karren Brady the soundtrack to much of the season. During the 3-0 home win against Leeds United, many shouted expletives at Sullivan throughout the encounter. Given the level of disdain, the 77-year-old vacated his seat in the director’s box before the final whistle. Relegation was confirmed after Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 victory over Everton. Demotion to the second tier will have far-reaching consequences on and off the pitch, with doubts over head coach Nuno Espirito Santo’s future, several players expected to leave and job losses likely to come behind the scenes.West Ham’s players react after Sunday’s defeat at Newcastle (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)This season has been a sorry tale, and The Athletic, having spoken to sources in and around the club, who were speaking on condition of anonymity to protect relationships, can reveal for the first time what went wrong for Nuno at West Ham, including how: