Former favourite Ashton believes Pellegrini could face the sack in 3 games

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Former West Ham striker Dean Ashton believes Manuel Pellegrini could face the sack at the end of this month.

In an exclusive interview with The Express, Ashton said that West Ham may choose to part ways with Pellegrini if they fail to pick up a win in their next three matches.

West Ham’s season so far

There was plenty of excitement surrounding the club when Pellegrini was named as the new manager in the summer.

Then, West Ham spent over £100m in the summer window to back the Chilean and show ambition.

But things have not started smoothly and West Ham sit bottom of the Premier League after four consecutive losses in the top flight.

After away losses at Liverpool and Arsenal and home defeats to Bournemouth and Wolves, the pressure is starting to grow.

The crunch matches

Ashton believes Pellegrini’s future hinges on the next three league matches.

West Ham travel to Everton this afternoon and will try to pick up their first points of the season at a ground where they have enjoyed little success over the years.

Just three wins in the Premier League era at Goodison Park is an ominous statistic ahead of today’s crunch clash.

After the Everton match, West Ham have two home matches, but they are far from easy games.

The Irons host Chelsea, who have won all five of their games this season, and then Manchester United.

If West Ham lose their next three matches in the league, Ashton believes Pellegrini’s job is in danger.

What Ashton said

Ashton is concerned by the upcoming fixtures and believes West Ham need to start picking up points.

The former fans’ favourite said: “The fixtures don’t get any easier. Everton away – that’s now massive. It’s a difficult match for any team but particularly West Ham given their record there.

“Then it’s Manchester United and Chelsea. If you get to the end of September and you haven’t got a point there, then it’s a bit like Crystal Palace last season.

“Generally, it’s the manager who takes the hit.”

Although Ashton believes Pellegrini might be sacked by the end of the month, he would like to see him given more of a chance.

He added: “I would like to see Pellegrini given a bit more time given the number of signings he made in the summer.

“It’s going to take a bit of time for them to bed in and play the way he wants. But how long do you leave it if you get to September without a point? It’s now a massive two or three games coming up.”