The Irons slipped to a 3-0 loss away at Wolves on Saturday (03.01.26), extending a worrying run that has left them in the relegation zone, and Parlour believes the upcoming game with Forest will decide Santo’s fate at the London Stadium.
Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast, Parlour, 52, said of the West Ham manager: “I don’t think he lasts. I think this is the last game he’s got. I don’t know what you do. You’ve got to do something about what’s going wrong.
“I don’t know what the dressing room situation is with the players and the manager but something’s gone wrong.”
The Hammers head into the Forest fixture on a nine-game winless run in all competitions, with their last victory coming on 8 November 2025 in a narrow 3-2 win over Burnley.
Another defeat would see the gap to 17th-placed Forest grow to seven points, further deepening relegation fears.
Santo has won just two of his 15 matches since replacing Graham Potter in September 2025, but Parlour was keen to stress that responsibility does not lie solely with the head coach.
He said: “You put on that West Ham shirt, you go out, you’ve got to run through a brick wall. You can have a bad game, there’s no doubt about that, everyone has bad games.
“But the effort, you see a bit of effort, you get away with it.
“West Ham fans, they want to see the desire. Things will go against West Ham, and the fans will say, ‘Look, at least he had a go, at least he tried.’
“There’s no excuse for players to go out and not give 100 per cent.”
Tuesday’s (06.01.26) meeting with Forest carries extra significance for Santo, who began the season at the City Ground before being dismissed in September 2025.
West Ham’s hierarchy are understood to view the fixture as pivotal as they assess whether to persist with their current manager.
Contingency plans are reportedly already being discussed should results fail to improve, with former West Ham boss Slaven Bilic believed to be on standby - having previously been considered following Potter’s departure.
Another name reportedly under consideration is former Manchester United and England midfielder Michael Carrick, who has been out of management since leaving Middlesbrough in the summer and has been sounded out by The Irons in the past.
If Santo is sacked at West Ham, he could reportedly rejoin Forest, as the club - who have lost their last four consecutive games - is said to be unhapy with currently head coach Sean Dyche.
