Source: Scott Parker already has one clear advantage over Nuno at West Ham

Parker has stronger backing from West Ham fans than predecessor Nuno due to his previous spell as a player at the club.

Scott Parker has been appointed West Ham United manager to replace Nuno Espirito Santo, who was dismissed earlier in the week. The 46-year-old suffered a 2-1 defeat to Blackburn in his first game but sources indicate he already enjoys more support behind the scenes and from supporters than Nuno did.

West Ham moved quickly to appoint Parker partly because of his previous spell as a player at the club, where he was a fans' favourite. The board believes his connection to the supporters will help win them over and provide him with backing to turn around the club's early Championship struggles. Nuno had struggled to gain fan support, which contributed to his dismissal.

Parker has previous Championship promotion experience, having led Fulham, Bournemouth and Burnley up from the division. West Ham are targeting an immediate return to the Premier League and hope Parker is the right man to achieve automatic promotion by May.