Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
HELLS PELLS , WHAT A MESS
No defence, no discipline, no goals and just silence from unpopular owners... Pellegrini’s reign of chaos had to end and Moyes has a tough job on his hands
FORGET Father Christmas, Manuel Pellegrini’s P45 was the most expected arrival of this winter.
In the end, the Chilean’s chaotic reign was effectively ended in Balham, south London. It was there that Michail Antonio careered his £210,000 Lamborghini Huracan into the binshed of a family home while dressed as a snowman last Wednesday.
Antonio is said to be intent on contacting the family to apologise for wrecking their Christmas Day and to pay for the damage.
The incident has been privately viewed by the
West Ham board as an example of the lack of discipline under Pellegrini.
There was no accountability under the 66-year-old, who struggled to connect with a dressing room of twenty-somethings. Nobody feared the wrath of a guy whose idea of the hairdryer was to raise his voice above the barely audible.
Summer signing Sebastien Haller – all £45million of him
– has scored just once in their last 11 games.
Pellegrini’s West Ham couldn’t defend at set-pieces. Burnley and Newcastle were among the many struggling rivals to fill their boots.
His back four haven’t done a proper day’s work since that shock win over Manchester United on September 22.
That result had left West
Ham fifth and United eighth. United started yesterday in fifth, West Ham are now 17th, one point above the drop zone. They haven’t won at home in six games since.
Defeat by Leicester’s Carabao Cup team on Saturday means the Irons have now lost nine of the last 12. They’ve surrendered more games from winning positions than any other side.
Amid it all, Pellegrini couldn’t see the problem when the Hammers board called him in for talks at the weekend.
Fortunately for them, they already had an exit plan. The deal for former boss David Moyes is done. It has been for some time.
The view upstairs is that they should never have let him go when he’d done such a good job keeping the club up in toxic circumstances and with a poor side.
West Ham have been patient with Pellegrini – most fans would have been glad to see the back of him months ago.
The Chilean defended hapless keeper Roberto who was clearly not up to the job of stand-in for the injured Lukasz Fabianski.
After just one training session the Irons players spoke among themselves about their fears for the team with the 33-year-old in goal. Those concerns were justified.
West Ham did not win any of the eight Premier League games in which Roberto appeared, losing six of them.
Through it all Pellegrini remained adamant that he would come good. Likewise his director of football Mario Husillos, who had wanted the flop keeper to be bought instead of Fabianski as first choice. The Irons board had to remain silent while their team burned.
In press conferences, with their team in a tailspin, Pellegrini showed neither the charisma nor the leadership to convince players or fans that he was the man to lead the club out of it.
All of it was noted upstairs. He bristled when his team’s inability to defend at free-kicks and corners was put to him.
He appeared affronted by questions asking what he intended to do about it.
The truth was he didn’t have any answers – on or off the pitch.
West Ham’s decision to fire him has given the club some hope of saving themselves.