da heads bet： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
da dobrowin： Manuel Pellegrini has spoken about his thoughts on being West Ham manager ahead of the Tottenham Hotspur match, as reported on the club’s official website.
What did he say?
Pellegrini is currently a man under pressure, with many fans already beginning to discuss options for who will take over from the 66-year-old if he is sacked.
The team is currently on a run of seven games without a win in all competitions, so the Chilean will need to begin turning things around to reduce that pressure.
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However, this does not seem to have fazed the Hammers manager’s confidence, as he was quoted on West Ham’s official website as saying: “I think that with 33 years in this profession I know what football is. It was a challenge to come here, and it’s a challenge that I want to win, to try to grow one step more with this club. For me, we try to improve, playing in the way that I like to play football.
“The pressure for me is to have a good team that plays good football in the way we have already demonstrated we can. Of course, Tottenham is a special game, but it’s not the last game of the season. It’s not for me enough to beat Tottenham and try to continue being in 12th, 14th or 15th position in the table – that’s not my goal as manager.
“Now we have to play against Tottenham – a special game we’ll try to win – but I will continue trying to involve all the club, and the players and myself, in a winning mentality, an ambitious mentality, and try to grow one step more a club that has 60,000 fans behind it every game.”
Unwavering in his beliefs
The Chilean tactician has shown that he is unwavering in his managerial beliefs at various points during his West Ham tenure, and his recent comments suggest that won’t be changing anytime soon.
An example of his defiant views can be shown through Roberto’s continued use in goal at London Stadium, despite talk of him being dropped to make way for David Martin.
His feud with Saturday’s opponent, Jose Mourinho, can also be a sign of how connected the Hammers manager is to his way of playing the game.
During a previous war of words with the new Spurs boss, Pellegrini is quoted by The Express as saying: “I don’t like coaches who are only interested in results. The concepts of spectacle and creativity are fundamental to me.”
Pellegrini will be looking to turn things around, but it is becoming increasingly evident that, for better or worse, he will be doing it his way.
The two-time Premier League title winner clearly wants to inject an elite mentality and a brand of attractive football in east London, and his commitment to his core values is certainly admirable given the pressure he is under after another summer window of significant spending.
Only time will tell whether his refusal to adopt a more pragmatic approach will eventually prove to be his undoing.