Report: Not If, But When Pellegrini Gets The Chop!

“I am delighted to welcome Manuel Pellegrini to West Ham United. He is one of the world’s most respected football coaches and we look forward to working with him," joint-chairman David Sullivan told the club's official website. “It was important that we appointed someone with knowledge and experience of the Premier League, who already has an understanding – not only of the teams and players we face – but of West Ham United and our ambitions." What could possibly go wrong?

Well, plenty actually! Despite his vast experience Pellegrini, just like current Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, is being found out. It is one thing to guide a team of super stars to the top, it is another thing entirely to mould a team on a relatively restricted budget, that is not to say the task is impossible, Eddie Howe is a classic example of a manager who can do so.

However this is West Ham United we are talking about, a club that snatches defeat from the jaws of victory on a constant basis, both on and of the pitch! The 'car crash' that is unfolding at the London Stadium is similar to the BBC's hugely expensive TV flop Eldorado, in which the BBC tried to move Eastenders to the Costa Del Sol, they moved in to an old spaghetti western set, well suited to that genre, but hopeless for trying to film a soap series, there was a complete impracticality as the set was not fit for purpose, an enormous 'carbuncle' of detritus was left when the plug was eventually pulled. 'Fish out of water',was one of the kinder comments as the reviewers savaged the 'useless story line, the participants and especially the location', does that seem familiar?

The truth is, whichever kind of positive spin you put on events currently unfolding at the 'Soulless Dome', the club is in turmoil, a busted flush! Having sold what was one of the most intimidating football grounds in Europe, in order to reach the next level by moving to the Olympic games stadium, the current owners inadvertently set the club on a collision course with disaster.

It would be churlish to suggest that their intention was to end up in this state of affairs, but by trying to 'box with the big boys', they have metaphorically had their pants pulled down, they have created a club that has had it's charisma sucked out of it. The 'Pellegrini' experiment has definitely failed, whether because he wasn't backed to the terms that were originally agreed or for whatever reason, the fact is the club is in serious danger of being sucked further in to a long hard relegation battle.

To anyone with a pulse it is clear that Pellegrini has 'lost the dressing room', that is not to suggest that the players don't respect the 66 year old Chilean, it is just that his methods aren't working and his recalcitrant attitude is not helping the players or fans, his insistence on his 'my way or the highway' approach is having a collaterally negative effect on the entire first team squad.

The great experiment failed, now the club need to lick their wounds, consolidate, and then rebuild. Unfortunately the rebuild will be extremely costly due to the need for a complete replacement of the managerial 'foundations', such a course of action will cost in the region of £22 Million in compensation just to start from scratch, and then there is the matter of 'acquiring' a top manager.

On paper Eddie Howe is the best possible option, due to his current contract running down, the fact that it has not been renewed by Bournemouth is one of the reasons that Howe is the Bookies favourite, especially now that Rafa Benitez has ruled himself out of the running. Although Howe would be highly unwilling to leave the Cherries mid season, and if by any chance he did, Bournemouth would be entitled to compensation.

Make no mistake, Manuel Pellegrini and his staff will be on their way well before their contracts were due to end, it is not a case of if, but when they go! - Ed