Whatever happens today, we’ve come an awful long way it seems since those first four games both on the pitch and off it.
Yes, it looked awful over those dreadful games but against Everton and Chelsea we demonstrated that we can attack (Goodison Park) and defend brilliantly ( London Stadium).
Off the pitch the growing chorus of discontent has virtually evaporated and the 8-0 against Macclesfield really was the cherry on the top of the cake.
This is all down to a manager who in the view of some wasn’t up to it, a spent force, on the decline after China at one stage.
Instead, he has developed a team pattern in double quick time but along the way showed that he is more in touch with the Under 23s and academy generally than those who preceded him. Great stuff.
At that level too things are really on the up and Pellegrini’s approach has been top class but a word for Terry Westley who as director of the academy has overseen the development of a growing number of highly talented youngsters.
Pellegrini is a class act who has shown that his fingers are in every West Ham pie where he knows precisely what is going on and using all the resources he has.
I love that quote of his when asked whether he likes young players when responded: “I like good players.”
The dip in confidence and anxiety following those four games was understandable but the facts are we have a top manager who I genuinely believe will take us to that mystical “next level.”
It’s a good time to be an Iron and I just hope I’m not tempting fate this afternoon when the Reds of Manchester arrive.
Whatever the outcome the future looks good – the future looks claret and blue.
COYI
Imho you should never look at the result, just analyse the performance, there were some ridiculous things said, Liverpool game apart we have had some good in all of our performances this season, the moment the players started fighting for each other things have really improved haven’t they ? The PL may want and to a degree need instant success that is not realistic, how we start is less important than how we improve, if we keep improving and adding quality on and off the pitch we may really take off COYI !!!