So, after spending the entire season teetering on the relegation precipice, wobbling West Ham United finally plunged through the trap-door into the EFL Championship at London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
With their fate firmly out of their hands going into the final fixture of the season, a 3-0 victory over Leeds United was simply not enough to prevent the Hammers from avoiding the dreaded drop following a 14-year stay in the Premier League.
Not only did West Ham require a win on home soil but they also needed former boss David Moyes to steer Everton to all three points at Tottenham Hotspur, too.
And while second-half goals from Taty Castellanos, Jarrod Bowen and substitute Callum Wilson enabled the Hammers to complete the first part of their mission impossible, there was to be no miraculous great escape after Spurs saw off the Merseysiders with a 1-0 victory.
“It’s a moment of deep sadness for all of us,” grimaced Nuno after relegation was confirmed.
“It was a tough day. We’d already lost the privilege of deciding our own future even if we did our own job. It didn’t happen.
"Since I joined, I was aware of the difficult situation of the football club and the players knew how hard this was going to be, too. It’s our responsibility.”
During a frustrating, fraught goalless first-half, Hammers hopes were dented by the news that Spurs had gone ahead in north London.
Midway through the second period, though, Castellanos nodded home Bowen’s deep corner to give the home fans just the feintest glimmer of possible salvation.
And on 79 minutes Mateus Fernandes invited top-scorer Bowen to race away and claim his 11th goal of the season, before Wilson unleashed an unstoppable 25-yarder in stoppage-time.
Sadly, for the Claret and Blue army it was all to no avail.
“We must apologise to the supporters and thank them for the way we’ve all re-established our relationship. We respect them and understand their anger and frustration,” insisted Nuno, whose side ended up being relegated with the highest points tally since the 2010/11 campaign.
“It’s a strange season because 39 points has kept teams safe for many years but it was not enough this time.”
Having taken over the Hammers helm in late-September with West Ham just one point adrift of safety with 33 games to play, the head coach refused to be drawn on his own future ahead of an inevitable mass exodus of first-team players as the club face the dire financial consequences of failure.
“Today’s about understanding the sadness of the fans, ourselves and the club.
"This isn’t the day to ask about the past and future. It’s not about me. We can speak about that later. We have to be ready for many things that will come out in the press and there will be lots of speculation. Tomorrow’s another day.
"We have to solve things together,” concluded Nuno, who may well find his fate taken out of his own hands in the days to come.
“We’re in a tough place and West Ham United has to return to the Premier League. We have time to make decisions without making any rash ones today.”
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