Pellegrini job could go South
Kop kick into gear to motor past Austrians
LIVERPOOL (Q) Napoli (Q) Salzburg Genk
in the competition since the Egyptian joined Liverpool.
His threat on the break along with the outstanding Sadio Mane caused the Austrians problems all evening and yet the player who has the best goalsper-game ratio in Liverpool history missed a host of opportunities before putting the game to bed.
For 20 minutes Salzburg pressed and could have put the defending champions in real trouble, threatening to make them only the second holders to be knocked out in the group stage
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after Chelsea. Salah should have scored when he shot over early in the match and missed an even better chance in front of an open goal.
He again broke through but a poor touch denied him and then he shot over at the start of the second half.
It was former Salzburg man Keita who settled the nerves and showed Liverpool steel.
A run by Mane down the left was devastating as goalkeeper Cican Stankovic hurtled from his line and the winger rounded him before crossing for
WEST HAM are lining up replacements for Manuel Pellegrini in case they lose at Southampton on Saturday.
Senior figures fear they will need to take action if they suffer defeat to their relegation rivals.
Free agents David Moyes and Chris Hughton head the queue of potential replacements and the Hammers would have to pay the remaining 18 months on Pellegrini’s £10m-a-year contract.
West Ham have won only one of their past 11 games and defeat at St Mary’s could see them replace Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men in the bottom three if Aston Villa also get a point at Sheffield United.
The Hammers’ shocking surrender to Arsenal on Monday night allowed the Gunners to come back from a half-time losing position to win a Premier League away game for the first time in eight years.
Pell egrini said: “It is difficult to understand. We dominated for 60 minutes and then lost the game.
“You must understand the boos because the last five games we played here we didn’t win.”