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Pellegrini told he has to change things dramatically

The heat is on Manuel Pellegrini  this weekend – show some guts and change things around!

But nobody is holding their breath!

Truth is though that should he continue with a formation and tactical approach which has been proved not to work over and over again he will presumably get whatever comes his way and cannot have a single complaint.

I have spoken to a manager this morning who is among those named as a possible for the Hammers job should Pellegrini be sacked in a bid to get a professional opinion on the problems within the team.

I obviously can’t name him but he had some interesting opinions and questions and is a man who has played against Pellegrini teams in the past.

AND EVERY ONE OF THEM WAS IN TUNE WITH WHAT THE FANS HAVE BEEN REPEATING!

His first observation will raise no eyebrows whatsoever but it confirms the widespread view that the lack of pace and power – notably in midfield – is the biggest issue any new boss would have to solve.

And he added: “That’s gonna be a real problem for whoever it might be.”

He was also concerned that the Chilean doesn’t demonstrate any of the passion which you see associated with other managers saying: “I have played against his teams and met him several times – a hard man with whom to connect!”

His next question to me was whether there were any dressing room leaders other than the admirable Mark Noble. My response was probably Snoddy, Antonio  only Zaba – in his last year at the club anyway.

He made the immediate observation that in these circumstances leaders were of the paramount importance but that the lack of pace through the team appeared to be the major problem.

And with that in mind he said gloomily: “It’s pretty obvious that everything starts at the back and the goals you are conceding is dreadful – any new manager would have to look at that straight away.

Manuel loves to attack of course as we all do but he has to put that all on hold and start tightening everything up. Football isn’t rocket science.

I don’t think there’s any way West Ham can carry on playing the attacking game we have seen them attempt even at Southampton where he really needs nothing but a win. There has to be a dramatic change of approach.

There’s some dead dead wood in there but they have enough to escape relegation so long as there’s a change of approach. It’s that which I believe has landed them where they are.

“They need unity in the dressing room, passion on the training pitch and a determination to defend for their lives. Do they have any of that? Doesn’t look like it”

 

About Hugh5outhon1895

Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!" Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

14 comments on “Pellegrini told he has to change things dramatically

  1. Very interesting. Also a bit depressing in its conclusions, since the injection of pace rightly mentioned can’t really come from the players already here ( yes I know we have Diangana & Holland but a relegation battle isn’t the best introduction to the PL for untried players).

    You suggest we have enough to avoid the drop but I find myself thinking ahead to a spell in the Championship. Every year around this time you start just wishing for a new season & wanting this one over with. It is like needing a tooth pulled out, except that in our case the same scenario plays out again & again. The sides who keep cheating the drop usually end up going down eventually.

  2. Like the man said it’s not rocket science. My daughter is an irons fan but has never kicked a ball in her life. She has been pointing all this out to me for weeks. There’s only Pelle that can’t see it, or he’s too stubborn to admit it more like!

  3. Whoever this is Hugh, get hn in !!
    Obviously, bang on with all observations……..

  4. A great start would be to play two up front, Haller is not a lone striker & cant be expected to do so anymore. Why buy a prolific goal scorer & then play him out of position??
    Pelle has obviously ‘lost the dressing room’ & we are in the deep deep brown smelly stuff if the players turn on each other.
    The only way to change this is to change the manager. Atm any team in the top two divisions would love to play us, easy three points.
    A lot of money needs to be invested just to make us a mid table team, selling half your squad including your entire forward line & then buying a couple decent players & freebies is stupidity at the highest level. A net spend of £25m in the PL isn’t going to cut it.

  5. It’s lack of flexibility isn’t it? He has been trying to fit the West Ham squad into his own mould. I wouldn’t claim to know a fraction of what he must know about football, but it seems to me the best managers develop a system to suit what they have got. What makes it so depressing is that he has had two pre seasons with reasonable funds to choose the heart of the squad he wants- but still can’t get them to fit into his system. It is crazy ordering him to change now. He obviously can’t, but didn’t the people appointing him 18 months ago realise that then? Was he appointed on the basis of the past record of his sides or after a thorough examination of the reasons behind his successes & failure? Guess we know the answer now…..

    • Your comments are in line with my own.

      In response to your albeit rhetorical question about 18 months ago.
      Unfortunately, our owners, in spite of their apparent business acumen, have never understood the order of priorities for running a successful (which does NOT mean winning leagues/cups) football club.
      Thanks to that, they clearly wasted a fortune in hiring Pellegrini & Co., in a vain attempt to shut us fans up.
      Did they break (my) golden rule: Never hire anyone you cannot afford to part company with?
      Of course, by now, they must have properly evaluated the potential cost of not parting company with him.
      Zzzzzzzzzzzz

    • True 64.Leopards and spots come to mind.He still cannot grasp the fact that he does not have players of the calibre he had at Man City and this pig headed belief that if they continue to play his way it will come good will be his downfall this Saturday evening when his tenure comes to a shuddering halt.

  6. It was interesting to hear Rafa Benitez’s comments about West Ham the other night. He reckons that Mark Noble pushes on too much, empties midfield and leaves too much on Declan Rice, and exposes the Defence – that’s how I interpreted what he said anyway!

    Who do you reckon Hugh’s been talking to – my moneys on Chris Hughton!

  7. Unfortunately for the Hammers Pellegrini can’t and will not see the wood for the trees? Sullivan championed getting Pellegrini, and dismissed Moyes and his team to get Pellegrini. Surely Mr Sullivan has to admit ” it’s egg on my face ” time ? And do the better thing fo all and Put Pellegrini out of his misery and us fans too.
    Mr Sullivan reminds me of guy at a roulette table always looking for the big payout and keeps putting his chips on the same number on black , and if it comes out winning would say ” I told you I’d picked a winner ” but the wheel keeps going on a different number on red and
    Always wastes his money ? Think he likes a wild gamble at times like getting Payet, sometimes pays off, but the majority of times it comes back to bite his pocket? He Means well
    But please do the sensible thing if he reads these blogs get rid of Pellegrini!!!!

  8. Michael Miller, I didn’t hear Benetiz comments, not a massive fan of his but he NAILED IT SPOT ON, NOBLE PUSHES FORWARD FAR TOO MUCH leaving massive holes in the midfield resulting in two very obvious defensive frailties ie Rice left isolated and us being so open to quick counter attacking teams….. WHO IS OUR DEDCATED ” holding midfielder, THOU SHALT NOT MOVE OUT OF THE AREA JUST IN FRONT OF THE CENTRAL DEFENDERS…
    How many times have we thrown away a lead because we are” tactless “, caught out when having our corner kicks etc etc
    You have to start winning” ugly”when you are in our position, PROTECT A LEAD, start winning games and get the confidence levels up again… Noble and Rice need to hold, hold and hold again… We simply have to shore up our defence in the next few matches.. Win 1-0, or even a couple of scoreless draws just to get a few points on the board… MP please your blinkers off and see the obvious… Heaven help us COYI

  9. Blah blah blah wake me when he is gone plse …..ffs

  10. Pellegrini likes to play attacking football??? What happened against Everton, wolves, Burnley, tottenham we didn’t even turn up let’s face it we ain’t exactly entertaining anyone and losing 5-4 every week!!
    We are literally walking around the pitch and I couldn’t tell you how many times this season that are corners have hit the first man!!
    Can’t see us getting a win at Southampton they have a striker in form and are quicker all over the pitch!!

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