Shearer lays into ‘embarrassing, hopeless, pathetic’ West Ham as they slip up again

IT IS tough at the top, Manuel Pellegrini would testify to that. The fear for West Ham’s beleaguered new manager is that he is about to discover life is much tougher at the bottom. Four games, four losses, zero points (the only club in the country yet to get on the board) and rock bottom of the table, Pellegrini is quickly finding out life at West Ham is very different from Manchester City. That’s not to say going for titles — like City’s Premier League trophy in 2014 — isn’t a pressurised business. But it’s nothing compared to the pressure of trying to stay up. Though Pellegrini is adamant it hasn’t come to that yet. ‘We cannot talk about relegation, we have just played four games,’ said the Chilean. ‘We are just one game, one win, from mid-table. It’s not the moment to talk about that. ‘But it is the moment to say if you don’t win in your first four games it is because something has happened.’ Spot on, Manuel. Something ‘has happened’. But what? Alan Shearer, speaking to

Match of the Day, offered this withering assessment. ‘You would think, coming into this game on the back of three defeats, at home, in front of your fans, you’d think a bit of fight, roll your sleeves up, show the fans you mean business,’ he said. ‘Whatever you want to say, whether it was embarrassing, hopeless, pathetic — use any of those words, you can pick any of them, and that would describe West Ham’s performance. ‘Complete lack of effort. Walking. Jogging. No intensity whatsoever. If you perform like this, you’re going to get nowhere. They were terrible. They got booed off and they deserved it. Many more performances like that and they’re in trouble. Already.’ On the face it, West Ham have the players to ensure they are comfortable by the end of the season. The big question is: should owners David Sullivan and David Gold expect more from their new manager and their £100million summer transfer outlay? In Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena, they look to have a solid centraldefensive platform. But it is further forward, particularly in central midfield, where

Pellegrini is starting to worry. In public, Pellegrini insists his squad is strong enough to climb the table. Privately, though, he is expressing concerns over his options in midfield. Mark Noble and Jack Wilshere started the season in West Ham’s engine room. But, as Sportsmail revealed on August 21, Noble’s position in the team has come under increasing scrutiny by Pellegrini due to concerns over his lack of mobility. At 31, can he still cover the ground he used to? Pellegrini isn’t so sure, naming the club captain on the bench against Wolves. Likewise, Wilshere is hardly renowned for his mobility. Carlos Sanchez has been drafted in to be the new high-energy presence in midfield. But his mistake in the lead-up to Adama Traore’s injury-time winner has now placed the Colombian’s position under scrutiny. Pedro Obiang, who came on for Wilshere in the 64th minute, is another option in central midfield. The way Wolves’ midfield pair Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves controlled the game would only have served to heighten Pellegrini’s worries. Indeed, the outlook looks far rosier for their manager Nuno Espirito Santo. His team were full of attacking intent in notching their first victory since returning to the top flight. ‘It’s the only way we know how to play,’ said Nuno. On this showing, Wolves will comfortably stay up. You cannot, however, say the same about West Ham.