With Manuel Pellegrini’s future at the club currently on life support, many West Ham supporters have picked Rafa Benitez as their replacement. Would the Spanish gaffer be a good fit in East London?
Football under Manuel Pellegrini has gone stale. West Ham can’t defend, can’t attack, and don’t have any character to the squad. The players are good enough to beat and compete with just about anyone in the Premier League, but without direction, the Hammers have sunk just three points above the relegation zone.
After the 3-2 loss to Tottenham, a scoreline that flattered the floundering Irons, many believed Pellegrini would be gone come Monday morning at the latest. He appears to have staved off his West Ham execution for at least one more match, but he’s a dead man walking and a replacement is needed.
The former target who turned down the Hammers for Real Madrid has come to the forefront, but would Rafa Benitez be a good option? I’m not convinced, especially when you examine why Hammers’ supporters are so fed up with Pellegrini.
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First, Benitez is currently collecting a fat paycheque in China. Why is this a negative? Well, Pellegrini had to be pried out of a lucrative contract to return to “competitive” football. Upon returning it seems that Pellegrini is out of touch with modern-day football and also has the financial security to ignore red flags that could lead to his sacking.
As well, if Benitez really believed in himself as a top manager and a top target for an elite or exciting project in European football, why would he immediately move to China after exiting his gig at Newcastle?
Speaking of Newcastle (secondly), Benitez struggled to find consistency in the transfer market under Mike Ashley, a notoriously cheap owner. David Sullivan, David Gold, and Karren Brady could cause him to spontaneously combust. While he got good performances out of an average side, Benitez appears to a high-wage gamble on potential “next level” success.
Lastly, tactically speaking, West Ham’s current squad does not fit into Benitez’s unwavering systematic play. By packing the midfield, Benitez tries to outlet the ball to his wide players, releasing them to then feed a quick striker into the opposition’s box. While Salomon Rondon acted as a target man, his solo play and speed were underrated and allowed him to play this role well. At West Ham, the squad isn’t deep enough in the midfield to follow this plan.
Overall, it’s a no from me on Benitez. There is a lot to like about him, but past success isn’t necessarily indicative of future success as we’ve seen with Pellegrini. Why not go for something new, something exciting at West Ham instead of recycled managers with played out systems?