Manuel Pellegrini is already under pressure at West Ham United after just four Premier League games at the helm.
The fact that Manuel Pellegrini’s future at West Ham United is already being questioned rather sums up the short-termism that is blighting modern football. Yet it is impossible to get away from the fact that something is clearly wrong at the London Stadium.
Despite finally investing in an ailing squad, spending over £100 million on the likes of Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmolenko, Issa Diop and Lukasz Fabianski, West Ham are bottom of the table having lost all four of their Premier League games so far.
The last time this happened, under Avram Grant in 2010/11, the Hammers were relegated. No wonder the fans are getting twitchy.
And West Ham’s decision to pay big money for Pellegrini, making him one of England’s best paid managers on a £5 million a year salary, is starting to look like something of an expensive mistake.
According to the Times, the club’s owners neglected to include a termination clause into his contract when the veteran Chilean arrived via Hebei China Fortune. As a result, they would have to pay him £15 million if they were to wield the axe now.
That is perhaps one of the reasons why, the Times adds, West Ham are determined to give the former Manchester City title winner time to turn things around.
But with Everton, Chelsea and Manchester United next up, can West Ham afford to stand by Pellegrini if the losing run extends to seven?
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