Pellegrini staying in present
MANUEL PELLEGRINI insists he has had no conversations with West Ham’s owners about his future at the club.
The pressure is mounting on the Chilean after a run of eight matches without a win which began with the Carabao Cup exit at League Two Oxford in September.
Seven games without victory in the Premier League, the latest of which was a 3-2 north London derby defeat by Tottenham, have seen the Hammers slip towards the relegation zone. Ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Chelsea, Pellegrini’s side are just three points and one place above the bottom three.
However, Pellegrini has shrugged off speculation about his position. The West Ham boss said: ‘We never talk about the future.
‘You must be clear, it is game by game. It is the same question asked when we were winning.
‘Football changes every game so we are working to beat Chelsea and improve. I always think about the present, never the future.’
Back-up goalkeeper Roberto has become a target for fans infuriated by his mistakes, the latest of which saw him fail to keep out Heung-min Son’s seemingly straightforward shot.
Hammers No.1 Lukasz Fabianski is back in light training after a hip injury although not expected to be back in contention to play until Christmas, but third-choice David Martin could replace
Roberto at Stamford Bridge. ‘Of course I am concerned but it is not just about the goalkeeper,’ added Pellegrini.
‘Every time you decide your starting XI you have the complete week to work with them, and the technical staff, about positives and negative things.
‘We will see. Of course it’s not a comfortable position (for Roberto). He knows exactly about his performance, he has a career behind him, he has been a very good player in big teams, so of course he cannot be happy.’