With Manuel Pellegrini’s time at West Ham United looking increasingly unstable, I thought this would be a good opportunity to look at some potential managerial candidates who may take over the reins at London Stadium should the Chilean be sacked.
Football is a cruel mistress at the best of times, but with West Ham hovering over the relegation zone by the skin of their teeth, it is important for the club to be prepared for any mid-season changes that may happen.
Rafael Benitez
Having left Newcastle United in the summer after spending three and a half seasons on Tyneside, Benitez did “a Pellegrini” and accepted a move to China, where he is now in charge of Dalian Yifang, whom he has hovered in mid-table in the Chinese Super League.
However, his time at St James Park is a much better measure of his capabilities. After taking over the Magpies in March of 2017, he couldn’t quite save them from inevitable relegation, despite his best efforts. He did manage to get them straight back into the Premier League with promotion at first attempt, however, and kept them in the big time until he and the club parted ways in June.
This was all done with financial restrictions as Mike Ashley perennially tightened his shoestring budget, which in the end was the catalyst for the Spaniard’s departure.
Still, only 59, seven years younger than Pellegrini, would Rafa want to come and work with the Dave’s after such a stressful previous few years?
Eddie Howe
Now the longest-serving manager in the Premier League, Howe has worked miracles with Bournemouth, as he guided them from the depths of League Two to the top flight in just five seasons. The Cherries are now an established Premier League outfit, having been in the big time since 2015.
Sandwiched in-between his two periods in charge of Bournemouth, however, was a stint at Burnley, where he failed to replicate the heroics that he managed with the south coast club. He left the Clarets and found himself back to the Cherries, citing “personal reasons” for his departure, after his mother passed away a few months earlier.
Having now been the boss at Dean Court since 2012, worries are that Howe is potentially a bit too comfortable at Bournemouth, and a new challenge may prove too much for the 42-year-old.
The Cowley brothers
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While technically Danny Cowley is the manager at Huddersfield Town, his assistant and brother Nicky Cowley is just as important to the pairs’ success, which has led them from being secondary school P.E. teachers to now pulling their weight in the Championship.
They made their names at Lincoln City, and similarly to Howe at Bournemouth, worked wonders at the Imps. The Cowley’s led them to promotion back in their debut season, while pulling off giant killings in the same campaign, knocking out Championship sides Ipswich Town and Brighton, before eliminating Premier League Burnley.
In their second season at the club, they led Lincoln to the EFL Trophy in the club’s first-ever game at Wembley. The following season was brought even more success, as the Imps were promoted to League One for the first time since 1999, going up as champions.
The pair is now at the Terriers having left Lincoln earlier in the season, where they are now slowly but surely leading them away from the relegation zone. Not to mention, the Cowley’s are big West Ham fans. What could go wrong?