West Ham rule out sacking Manuel Pellegrini as manager returns to Chile to sort out personal matters

Sacking the Chilean boss would cost the Hammers more than £7m
Disastrous start | West Ham have lost their opening four league matches under Pellegrini
PA/Nigel French
Ken Dyer4 September 2018

West Ham have ruled out the possibility of sacking new manager Manuel Pellegrini - a move which would cost them more than £7million - and are backing him to put things right.

The 64-year-old Chilean is already coming under pressure following West Ham’s dismal start to the season, with no points from the first four League games, and the realistic prospect of the situation becoming even worse.

Their next three matches are Everton away, followed by home games against Chelsea and Manchester United.

Pellegrini signed a three-year contract, worth £5m a year, in May. It is understood the former Manchester City manager is on a 12-month rolling deal, which means West Ham would be obliged to pay a maximum of £7m in compensation should they wish to make a change in the next few weeks.

Pay-offs to Pellegrini’s staff, including director of football Mario Husillos, would take the total above £10m, but a club source said this morning that the option of changing manager is not being entertained.

West Ham spent £100m on nine new players this summer, in accordance with Pellegrini’s wishes, and the source added: “The manager has bought a team. He has to make it work. You can’t dump the manager and buy a new team in January.” Fan dissatisfaction with the club’s recruitment policy and style of play prompted co-owner and majority shareholder David Sullivan to bring in Pellegrini, a manager with a reputation of promoting attacking, attractive football, and then Husillos to head up player recruitment.

But Pellegrini has had trouble integrating his new signings into a coherent team and his players looked confused and disjointed in Saturday’s defeat by newly-promoted Wolves. There had been signs of improvement and development in the lead up to the match, but the level of performance and the manner in which they conceded a last-minute goal has ramped up the pressure on Pellegrini.

In Pictures | West Ham vs Wolves | 01/09/2018

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He has come under further criticism for insisting that fans dissatisfaction is a hangover from last season when, under Slaven Bilic and then David Moyes, the Hammers were involved in a battle to get clear of the relegation places.

Pellegrini is currently back in Chile for a planned visit to sort out personal matters, while West Ham players not on international duty return to training on Thursday.

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