The opposition view: Manuel Pellegrini

  • by Staff Writer
  • Tuesday, 22nd May 2018

Manchester City fans should know a little bit about West Ham United's new manager, right?

So we took a trip to the Blue Moon Forum to see what the Citizens were saying about Manuel Pellegrini, who was confirmed as West Ham's 17th full time manager earlier today...


"I wouldn't be surprised if West Ham finished 7th and I wouldn't be surprised if it was 17th. Outside the top six, the Premier League is getting tighter and tighter and a good manager can be the difference between finishing in the top 10 or the bottom three. I wouldn't be surprised if West Ham have a really good cup run next season. But, he needs something to work with - and I suspect he wouldn't have taken the job if he didn't have some transfer funds at his disposal. Whilst West Ham have some good 'uns they also have some dross. I like West Ham as a club, I like their fans, and I like Pellegrini. I wish him and them well, they deserve a bit of success."
- Chris in London

"As the manager of Villarreal and Malaga he did very well with very limited funds. And he is able to get the right players in that will suit West Ham, having managed in South America and Spain. He knows the Premier League and that helps a lot for being a foreign manager. IMO, this could turn out to be a very decent fit. However West Ham will never beat our song about him being brought in by the Sheik in his Lamborghini..."
- eversince 76

"Best of luck to him but West Ham are not Manchester City or a top 10 team and don't have much quality or money to spend to keep the fans happy. The old ground was a nightmare, with the fans right on top of you it was the atmosphere that many feared when going there. The fans would win them more points than most the team. Now, in a big new stadium it's not the same, the fans don't scare anybody and the atmosphere just isn't there so the team has to be good and it's not. I don't think Pellegrini will last a season."
- ancoats

"Good luck to him. He did a great job at City, improving on the faults Mancini had allowed to creep in and got us attacking with much more purpose, for one season. He will attempt to play attacking football which is potentially much better for the Premier League than anything Moyes has ever done and his one-dimensional offside trap, which is useless at the top level, might be good enough for the next level down. He still has to find some creativity from somewhere in order for his system to work, so his whole future probably depends on a good transfer window. But in football terms he is the Chilean Harry Redknapp, so it could work."
- Neville Kneville

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"I really liked Pellegrini, off the field he was my favourite of our recent managers - always calm and collected. I understand the football went downhill but I felt he was on a hiding to nothing in his last season with Pep coming in. I haven't seen him say a bad word about the club or fans even though things got quite toxic towards the end. I enjoyed the trophies he won and really hope he succeeds at West Ham."
- kalouk

"I don't think he got the best out of anybody after his first 6-12 months and he murdered Sterling. But he does like a big player upfront, so it's not impossible he can work with Carroll and Arnautovic (well, once a month in Carroll's case). He always had real quality attacking creativity to make it work for him and I'm not sure where he'll find that. The big advantage he has compared to City is that hardly anyone is ever going to park the bus versus West Ham, so he has the freedom of the pitch to attack."
- Nev

"The reason he did well in that first season was because he had the Mancini team with a strong organisational basis, especially in defence. He is a really nice bloke and the football in that first half a season was fantastic, but he would have struggled with all the parked buses we face week in, week out now. He doesn't improve players a great deal and will need to be more pragmatic with the quality of players at West Ham rather than playing on the front foot. I wish him well and just maybe that will be one less team to park the bus when we play them."
- blue61

"If ever a manager didn't match the squad, it's Pelligrini and West Ham. If they have any chance of this being a success (mid-table) then they need to spend some serious money. Noble, Carroll, that defence (bar Zab and Rice) all need sorting out but I don't think Pelligrini is the man to make them better. He might be able to buy better but I don't think he will make individuals better. There are some good players there, Lanzini looks decent, Arnoutovic seems to have knuckled down and Masuaku looked half decent prior to his ban for spitting! I cannot see this working. The players are more suited to Moyes than Pelligrini."
- Blue Hefner

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"I like the fella but if he'd had stayed at City, I could easily have stopped my season card. We went from 70% win rate to 50%. Not sure how much of the Pep factor caused that fall, but I hated football in his last season."
- TheRemainsOfTheDave

"I really like Pellers having another PL go with West Ham. I very much enjoyed his first season as a City manager, but in his last season the Pep factor crept in. Pellers did great with smaller teams in Spain. I hope he does the same at West Ham and wish him all the best. The charming man deserves so."
- eversince 76

"A top bloke he certainly is and West Ham are a top club with great fans who support their team through thick and thin. But, man, I don’t envy him with those owners - they’ll throw him to the sharks as soon as look at him if things start to go a bit Pete Tong."
- GeorgeHeslop'sTackle

"Good luck Manuel and rebuild West Ham - they need to start splashing the cash after selling their fans down the river with that fucking ground."
- Scottyboi

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