Why Pellegrini to West Ham could be the signing of the summer
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Former league winner returns…
Manuel Pellegrini is on the verge of being appointed the new West Ham United boss after David Moyes was sacked last week, according to reports.
It’d be a sensational coup for the Hammers. The Chilean is a top pedigree manager with a Premier League title already under his belt.
David Moyes ultimately kept the London outfit up. But the Scot was never the type of manager to keep Hammers fans happy long-term.
However, Pellegrini certainly ticks a lot of those boxes. The Coral News Team lay out why the 64-year-old could be the signing of the summer…
Stylish football on the cards
The ‘West Ham way’ may or may not be a thing. But Hammers fans know what they like – and that’s good football.
It’s why Slaven Bilic – for a long time – was such a success. And it’s why Pellegrini should fit in nicely at the London Stadium. The ex-Real Madrid manager encourages the type of football that entertains and puts bums on seats.
When asked to define his football philosophy, he said: “My teams always treat the ball as the priority, with plenty of mobility, blending South American football with European. My philosophy is based on having players with a good technical ability. Efficient and creative.”
Experience of building at smaller clubs
Pellegrini may have managed Manchester City and Real Madrid, but his most renowned successes came at less fashionable clubs.
During his five-year tenure at Villarreal, he took the Yellow Submarine to never-seen-before heights.
The La Liga outfit qualified for the Champions League on three out of his five seasons in charge. And they made the semi-finals and quarter-finals in two of those campaigns.
At recently-relegated Malaga, he took the La Rosaleda club into the Champions League too. Boquerones made the quarter-finals before being heartbreakingly knocked out by Jurgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund.
Transfer contacts
It could be argued that the West Ham squad underperformed to a large degree this season.
Although they finished 13th, the Hammers generally struggled. Moyes got them over the line, but the likes of Javier Hernandez, Manuel Lanzini, Marko Arnautovic, and Joao Mario just didn’t really fit with his style of football.
Pellegrini could put that sort of talent to much better use. And he’ll probably have a wish-list of his own players to bring in, too.
The squad shouldn’t need too much surgery. But the Santiago-born coach could add a touch of continental flair to supplement some of the talents already at the club.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
