West Ham United are said to be considering replacing Manuel Pellegrini with Rafael Benitez.
West Ham have been in awful form in recent weeks, with the Hammers sliding down the Premier League table.
Pellegrini’s future at the London Stadium is now firmly in doubt, and there have been suggestions in the Daily Mirror that West Ham want Benitez to come in and replace the Chilean boss.
However, Keys suggests that West Ham would be ill advised to put Benitez in charge.
“In the Sunday Mirror at the weekend Andy Dunn was suggesting it won’t be long before Benitez is back in the PL – at Arsenal, West Ham or Southampton. Surely not Andy? Benitez left for a ‘long term project’ in China and because Mike Ashley didn’t ‘share his ambition’. What a joke,” Keys raged.
“He left for a fat salary and having done his best to create havoc for his successor. Why didn’t he leave at the end of last season? He knew he was going in May. Why wait until pre-season training had started, therefore restricting the time Bruce had to get to know his team – to plan and work the transfer market?
“If I were a West Ham fan I’d be shuddering at the prospect of Benitez turning up in east London. If you thought it was bad under Big Sam you ain’t seen nothing yet guys. And how do you think Benitez would get on with Karren Brady? Yep. Me too.”
Keys was a serial critic of Benitez during his time at Newcastle, and it seems that he still does not hold the Spanish boss in particularly high esteem.
Despite the criticism the rumours have excited some West Ham fans, who feel that Benitez would be an upgrade on Pellegrini.
Benitez did a hugely credible job on a limited budget at Newcastle, as he helped them consolidate in the Premier League.
West Ham’s next match comes against Tottenham Hotspur and if they fail to win the pressure will only increase on Pellegrini.
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