Manuel Pellegrini must go, but West Ham have bigger problems in the club

Where to start? Arsenal were the worst side I can remember seeing at London Stadium, and by default, we managed to look better than we were.

They were completely there for the taking, and while they enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, they were completely toothless in attack and failed to threaten our backline even once.

Thankfully, we managed to get a rather fortuitous goal courtesy of a Pablo Fornals cross and a deflected Angelo Ogbonna header. Having said that, a decent team would have put themselves out of a sight against this fragile Arsenal side, if not by half time, at least in the opening stages of the second half.

Time and time again we kept managing to break, but as usual, we couldn’t find that final ball which we needed to kill the game off.

And as usual again, as soon as their first goal went in, our heads dropped and we collectively collapsed. Within a blink of an eye, we found ourselves leading fairly comfortably to being 3-1 down.

Having said that, there was still plenty of time to try and get ourselves back in it, but it seemed as though the players and fans alike never believed that we could, personified by a slouched Manuel Pellegrini stuck to his dugout chair.

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I won’t single any one player out as the situation is now much bigger than that. Rightly or wrongly, the team looks like they have lost all confidence in the manager (no matter how hard he tries to convince himself or others otherwise) and that reflects in the performances and body language on the pitch.

The end of Pellegrini’s tenure must now be nigh, and if so, a decision needs to be made sharply.

What’s the point in keeping him in charge for the Southampton game this coming Saturday? A loss is a loss and we’ll be in the same boat, just another game down. If we do somehow manage to win it, it would almost certainly delay his departure by at least another game – which is no good for any party involved.

It’s disappointing to see not just because I ultimately want to see West Ham do well, but because I think Pellegrini is a decent man who genuinely wants the best for the club. I desperately wanted him to succeed at West Ham, and at times I believed he ultimately would, but those moments have come too few and far between.

It is, however, not completely his fault. In fact, he is just a smaller problem in a much wider issue. The board is the fundamental problem, and it is hard to see any manager succeeding at this club under the current regime. Until they either start to invest properly on not just players, but also in the training ground and further extensions of the club, West Ham will never make the proposed “next level”.

Next. West Ham spoil lead in what should be Pellegrini’s last game. dark

If Gold and Sullivan can’t fully invest for a manager who has proved himself throughout Europe during his managerial career, who are they likely to back? And now with their proven track record of underfunding managers, who exactly would want to come and coach a side that needs crucial investment?

I fear the merry-go-round will continue to go on for the foreseeable future.

It is time to say goodbye to Pellegrini, but the bigger West Ham problem remains

By Louis Pye | Dec 9, 2019

Where to start? Arsenal were the worst side I can remember seeing at London Stadium, and by default, we managed to look better than we were.

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