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Pellegrini needs to up his game

Blind Hammer argues that improvement is needed from the top.

Football is a harsh taskmaster.  Yet Pellegrini has shown signs of losing his way recently.

Firstly we had the bizarre communication that Declan Rice was available “for a price.”  Despite the ultimate reality that this is true for all players it was still disappointing for the manager to sanguinely signal the exit door.

By all accounts, Rice has invested loyalty in the West Ham setup, as, apparently did Rio Ferdinand in earlier times. It would be sad for this loyalty to be similarly swept aside for the quick cash return.

It is no surprise that agents talk about a Rice transfer to Old Trafford should now surface after Pellegrini’s apparent ‘come and get him’ quote. If Rice becomes unsettled we cannot complain.

Next, we had the odd communication of the ill set up team against Everton. Reasons for Noble’s, Fredericks, Anderson’s and Hernandez’s absence only emerged in dribs and drabs after the game.

Nobody expects Pellegrini’s to tip his hand ahead of schedule but at the point of team announcements, the club should clarify via Social Media to reduce fan’s understandable puzzlement.

Most importantly Pellegrini must come under scrutiny for his recent tactical decisions. Playing both Perez and Arnautović up front against Everton was an experiment which clearly failed. It contributed to our disjointed, outnumbered, and ineffectual midfield.

I was astounded then when he decided to repeat the formation against Chelsea. Personnel changed but the tactics did not. Perez was replaced with Hernandez to similarly provide a top loaded formation.

Rice and Noble laboured manfully but it was no shock that Hazard ran the show. Time after time on commentary you could hear Hazard choosing the West Ham defender to isolate.

Fredericks was repeatedly left one on one. It was no surprise when Hazard scored,  Ogbonna earlier having to sacrifice a yellow card to prevent a goal.

Both Don Hutchinson and Paul Parker described Pellegrini pleading with Arnautović to double up on Hazard.

Yet to set up a team which relies on Arnautovic’s ability to restrict Hazard seems odd at best.

Pellegrini finally abandoned this formation for a more solid midfield which competed better in the second half. This second half setup must be Plan A for Old Trafford.

I remain a Pellegrini loyalist but Managers, like players, have dips in form. He is one of the highest paid managers in the PL. He, more than anybody, knows that the highest standards are expected.

COYI

 

 

About David Griffith

My Father, born in 1891 was brought up in the shadows of the Thames Ironworks Memorial Ground. I remember as a child jumping over the settee when Alan Sealy scored in our 1965 European Cup Winners triumph. My first game was against Leicester in 1968, when Martin Peters scored what was adjudged by ITV’s Big Match as the Goal of the Season. I became a season ticket holder in 1970. I was registered blind in 1986 and thought my West Ham supporting days were over. However in 2010 I learnt about the fantastic support West Ham offer to Blind and other Disabled Supporters. I now use the Insightful Irons in-stadium commentary service and West Ham provide space for my Guide Dog Nyle. I sit on the West Ham Disabled Supporters Board and the LLDC Built Environment Access Panel. David Griffith aka Blind Hammer

3 comments on “Pellegrini needs to up his game

  1. I welcome BH’s intelligent contributions. On this he’s right, at very least because the buck stops with the manager. We roll out this sad analysis game after game. If I had £10 for every time we’ve ‘shown too much respect’, ‘didn’t start fast / positive / hungry / aggressive enough’ I could pay off my credit card.

  2. Am I alone in being worried that a) we have lost 4 of our last 6 games and b) in 2019 we have only secured one point away from home?

    Those two things are relegation form

    So yes Blind Hammer I agree Pellegrini needs to up his game for the rest of the season

  3. The problem particularly away from home is that Pellegrini plays too open. Apart from the cups( as long as he doesn’t do a Wimbledon, which I blame the manger mostly for) what’s he going to do in the league. Is Europa league that good or exiciting anyway. I’m wondering what his appointment and the Olympic stadium is about apart from making the owners richer in the process.

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