A couple of weeks ago Manuel Pellegrini quietly spoke seven little words that have stuck in my mind since – even through the rage and anxiety that followed the Wolves game: “I will not fail at West Ham!”
Most of what the manager and his backroom team do is done quietly and without the first sign of fuss and bother.
Pellegrini made it clear during those opening games that he had suffered series of poor results previously in his career and the word ‘gel’ had never been used more often!
But this is West Ham and therefore a drama became a crisis.
Everybody from former pros to lazy red top journos and a few worried fans were either calling for the return of David Moyes or claiming this obviously highly talented man hadn’t the stuff required to turn things around.
In fact, he has shown himself to be exactly the person this particular club needs more than any other – a calm and composed operator a million miles from Slaven’s excitable personality and the dour image developed over the years by Mr Moyes.
We won’t mention their predecessor – you will know where I’m coming from.
It would have been ridiculous not to feel concerned after those first four games but the reality is that after six we are starting to look a very good team even with Marko Arnautovic absent. That by the way was a real bonus from yesterday.
But just as it was wrong to go totally OTT in the bad times, let’s remain calm like him during the current good. Over reaction is not good but has become a sympton of life at West Ham for perhaps a little too long.
The Everton and Chelsea results were great – there was so much to admire – and once Felipe Anderson starts really firing there will be a lot more to come.
In the meantime I’m as pleased as punch that the club has a manager whose character and attitude is introducing an era of reflection, certainty and stability to a club which at times has resembled a madhouse of emotion.
Ranting, raving and ‘all about me’ managers leave me cold.
I’m enjoying Pellegrini very much indeed and those seven words at the height of trouble are precisely what I wanted to hear.
No, he will not fail this club. Of that I am certain.
COYI
Given the huge amount of money spent and the talented squad that’s been assembled it would be a huge shock to me if any manager failed in the circumstances to be honest. I would go so far as to say he has been dealt a better hand of cards than any other manager in our history.
It is true that an unprecedented sum was spent but equally Pelligrini was three players down through long term injury (Lanzini, Reid and Carroll). Also the club had shed itself of a host of players from last season so whoever was in charge would have had to heavily invest – in part because so little had been spent since we left Upton Park – Fonte, Hart, Evra, Fernandes, Hugill, Sakho, Ayew, Collins, Kouyate, Byram, Haksabanovic, Quina, Samuelson, Browne, all had squad numbers last year and had to be replaced even if few of them generated any income.For me Pelligrini is the best man to do this. The team is now taking shape; he is beginning to get to know his best team; the players are responding; the fans are responding.
I haven’t doubted yet and don’t anticipate doubting in the future we are improving every match, we will be a work in progress most of the season and am fairly certain at some point either in January or the summer he will invest heavilly in central midfield for a ball winning box to box player as well as a reliable centre forward. Yesterday when Anderson went off we lost our threat on the counter, Snodgrass did very well but it was clear we lacked pace which is why we were penned in for most of the last 20 minutes even if we did miss that glorious chance.
Cant find anything to disagree with in this post hugh
Yes Hugh – good post and I was very impressed with the last two performances
However there is still work to be done – and the key will be in winning home games against the teams not in the top six – remember last season we lost to Brighton, Newcastle and Burnley at home
Sorry to bring this up but under Avram Grant we had also played 6 for 4 points, so job begun not job done