Andy Carroll is back in the mix at West Ham United and he has been making himself heard.
Fresh from delivering a damning assessment of David Moyes’ time at the club last season Carroll has now given his verdict on new boss Manuel Pellegrini.
West Ham started life under the Chilean with four straight defeats.
Hammers transformed
But the Hammers have been transformed of late.
The East Londoners have won four games on the spin for the first time since 2014 and can equal a 12-year-old record if they beat Watford at home on Saturday.
Key to their win over Crystal Palace last time out at home, Carroll has returned from his latest injury at just the right time.
Marko Arnautovic, the focal point of West Ham’s attack, is out until the new year.
Candid Carroll
And Carroll is clearly enjoying life under Pellegrini if his candid interview with The Daily Mail is anything to go by.
“He (Pellegrini) is a nice fella, a gentleman,” Carroll told The Daily Mail.
“He conducts himself well. He’s ruthless.
“Bang, you’ve done well, but then he won’t play you the next game.
“You’ve got to respect him. He’ll tell us how it is, and that’s it. His door is always open.”
West Ham looking up for a change
It is refreshing to hear a player come out and speak so openly about his manager.
His future may be in the balance but for now at least Carroll is a key player for the Hammers.
With 12 points from 12 in the bag in the last four games and a kind fixture list – on paper at least – everyone at West Ham is looking up.
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