Winner Pellegrini has done it without massive budgets
It’s a”brilliant appointment “-” he’s too old”….”why’s he been in China if he’s that good” – “but he won the league and took tiny Malaga to the quarters of the Champions League.”
The central one of course is that despite a £10 million wage packet the sceptics (it’s what they do) claim he won’t be backed with real money.
I find it difficult to believe, however, that having gone this far in their bid to get him, the Chilean won’t have ensured he is being given a transfer budget with which he can work.
He’s done it before and here’s what he’s managed at clubs without massive funds like Realand City (Source Wiki):
O Villareal: In his first season in charge of the club, Villarreal qualified for the UEFA Champions League after finishing third in the league and reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup.
The following season, Villarreal reached the semi-finals of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, losing to Arsenal. Villarreal eventually finished seventh in La Liga that year.
The following two seasons featured Villarreal finishing in both fifth and second place in the league, the latter being historic for the club. Pellegrini led El Submarino Amarillo to the Champions League knockout stages, where they drew Arsenal once again in the quarter-finals, losing out 4–1 on aggregate.
O Malaga: Appointed in November 2010 the team finished 11th but in his first full season he led them to fourth in the league with a club record-breaking 58 points.
With his guidance, Málaga entered the Champions League qualifiers for the first time in the club’s history. On 10 August 2012, Pellegrini publicly stated his desire to stay at the club despite its ongoing financial problems and the loss of key players such as Santi Cazorla and José Salomón Rondón.[24]
Málaga progressed to latter stages of the Champions League, where they were drawn against Milan, Zenit Saint Petersburg and Anderlecht. The club progressed to the knockout stage unbeaten, winning three and drawing three in the group stage.
Málaga then beat FC Porto 2–1 on aggregate in the round-of-16. They were eliminated by Borussia Dortmund after conceding two stoppage time goals which cost them a semi-final place.
On 22 May 2013, Pellegrini announced he would leave the club at the end of the season with Málaga finishing sixth and excluded from Europe due to Financial Fair Play
This has become for me the most critical 48 hours in years at West Ham – pray he is not allowed to escape Essex and Sullivan’s mansion until the deal is done!
COYI