Martin Keown questions wisdom of West Ham over David Moyes decision, criticises Manuel Pellegrini

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When Manuel Pellegrini replaced David Moyes at West Ham United in the summer, most saw it as a big step up.

Moyes had done a fantastic job in keeping West Ham up.

The Hammers ended up finishing 13th in a hugely congested Premier League.

It was some turnaround given the club was languishing in the relegation zone with just nine points when the Scot took over from Slaven Bilic on a short-term deal in November.

Some supporters felt the former Manchester United boss had earned a long-term deal.

Others did not take to his style of play and demanded better.

Owners David Sullivan and David Gold clearly weren’t convinced either.

‘You wonder whether they should have kept him’

They thanked Moyes and sent him on his way before appointing Premier League winner Pellegrini on a bumper contract.

The Chilean has since been backed with £100 million worth of signings.

But defeats to Liverpool and more worryingly Bournemouth have dampened pre-season optimism.

It did not take long for the vultures to circle and Gunners legend Martin Keown has questioned the appointment on BT Sport and some of the signings since.

“We’ve talked a lot about David Moyes and he’s gone now from there, you wonder whether they should have kept him,” Keown said on BT Sport.

‘Some of them are free transfers, how good are they?’

“I mean they’ve (the owners) rolled the dice, spent a lot of money, I don’t know if (Jack) Wilshere and (Mark) Noble is the answer in midfield, looks like they’re covering a lot of distance, I don’t know if they’ve got the energy to play in there.

“Some of them (the signings) are free transfers, you know how good are they? The acquisitions, what’s Pellegrini’s knowledge like?

“We suddenly expect all these foreign managers to have better knowledge than the English.”

Keown also highlighted just how crucial it was for West Ham to keep Marko Arnautovic happy if they are to get the best out of him, something Moyes managed last season.

Meanwhile, the man Keown feels should still be in charge has been linked with the USA manager’s job (Daily Mail).