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West Ham’s Charming Man, Manuel Pellegrini

By Adam Smith

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 08: Manuel Pellegrini, Manager of West Ham United looks on after the Premier League match between West Ham United and Crystal Palace at London Stadium on December 8, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 08: Manuel Pellegrini, Manager of West Ham United looks on after the Premier League match between West Ham United and Crystal Palace at London Stadium on December 8, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images) /
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Just four months into his first season at West Ham, Manuel Pellegrini is already impressing with his influence on the entire club. With an attacking mindset and a team that is playing to the best of their abilities, Pellegrini is quickly becoming West Ham’s Charming Man.

Its an appropriate song for the man who has transformed this West Ham team from an unpredictable flounder to an attacking team who is solid at the back. His current unbeaten run has helped to solidify the Hammers support around him after a shaky start, and now the quest begins; get West Ham to Europe.

In order to understand Pellegrini and his team we have to look at the personnel he brought in and the style of football he plays.

His recruits were plenty this offseason: Lukasz Fabianski, Ryan Fredericks, Issa Diop, Fabian Balbuena, Jack Wilshere, Carlos Sanchez, Andriy Yarmolenko, Felipe Anderson, Lucas Perez, and a pending Samir Nasri.

Building from the back Pellegrini chose experience over youthfulness in goal and hasn’t looked back since. Fabianski has been the best and one of the most consistent keepers this season and has solidified West Ham’s goal. He’s stopped penalties, made world class saves, and most importantly kept losing scorelines close and kept his team in matches time after time.

On defense, Diop and Balbuena are proving to be one of the most daunting centre-back pairings in the Premier League. Fast, physical, and aerial duel specialists, Diop and Balbuena are turning heads early in their PL careers.

Felipe Anderson has been a man transformed on the left wing in recent weeks. He uses his dribbling and speed to create space, can dip a cross into the box, open up the opposition with a slicing through ball, and now as he’s proven, he can ping world class goals.

Up top, Lucas Perez is finally getting a chance to start in the dup striker set up in this current formation. Injuries to Andy Carroll originally and now Marko Arnautovic has provided the opportunity to succeed and has taken it with two goals in two games started.

The injuries list is long here too. Wilshere has yet to make much of an impact but is rounding back fit soon, Yarmolenko is out for the year after starting strong at Everton away, Fredericks will be back in the new year, and Carlos Sanchez is done for the season.

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Pellegrini’s plan was to mix youthful prospects with veteran experienced players to provide depth and a culture to what is a primarily new team. Depth has been key, as well, as many of these new recruits have had injuries so far and the new recruits have helped in alleviating the harm.

The formation Pellegrini plays has also been a revelation to Hammers fans. Some will call it a 4-4-2 but judging by his past teams at Manchester City and Real Madrid, im willing to call it a 4-2-2-2. The ascension of Rice in a defensive midfield role has greatly improved the team’s ability to commit four forwards and Mark Noble beside him has brought a physical presence to the holding midfield.

The wide attackers Felipe Anderson on the left side and Robert Snodgrass on the right side provide two different styles of play, but both fruitful for the double strikers. Anderson has the freedom to create or shoot himself with great skill, while Snodgrass opts to pass first and shoot second. Both scored beautiful goals against Palace and both are relishing their positions in the formation.

Atop the squad is a striker partnership that has changed the way West Ham play. Reliant on the service from their midfielders and fullbacks, West Ham has gone from a team dependent on Marko Arnautovic to a team that uses their strikers to pierce the middle and play off of each other. It’s a next man up mentality without Arnautovic as Chicharito, Perez, and Carroll have all factored in.

Possession based attacking football is the name of the game for West Ham under Pellegrini and it’s something we’ve missed for so long. For too long now West Ham has been a team that needs to be defensively structured in order to repel their opposition and try to hit them on a counter. That is no longer the case as Pellegrini has found a system and a team that works, allowing West Ham to dictate play and press their opposition.

Next. Fulham are there for the taking, and West Ham must keep focus. dark

A third of the way into the season and West Ham sit tenth in the table. They have winnable games lined up to round out 2018 and aspirations to reach European football which is within reach. Resilient, structured, skilled, and in form; Manuel Pellegrini is charming the West Ham supporters by bringing exciting football back to East London.