Pellegrini and the Fornals problem

(Photo by James Griffiths/West Ham United FC via Getty Images)

Manuel Pellegrini – as he must at the moment I guess – continues to defend his £25 million summer signing through thick and thin.

With a quarter of the season almost gone the Spanish midfielder has yet to show any sort of form and was pulled off at the weekend after a nightmare 45 minutes.

However, when you have spent that sort of money there’s no way you can admit to the facts in front of you I suppose and the manager continues to plead for more time.

To some extent we get it but surely it’s fair to expect a bit more than we have seen so far from the fella who at this stage looks lost in the Premier League.

Pellegrini restrained his comments to one line implying that he needs more time but you don’t get a lot of that at the highest level and this, no doubt, the questions will continue to be posed about the player.

The manager said: “It is normal for a player that comes from another league to have some months to adapt to the different kind of games, different pace from the Spanish league. I am happy with him. As a manager, I am regretting missing the three points against Crystal Palace at home more.”

“Maybe the result was not so terrible but two games in a row, two defeats in a row, two games with dropped points, only two points from the last 12. It is not just about [the absent, injured Aaron] Cresswell or Fornals or one player, as a team we need to return to the way we played a couple of weeks ago.