Irked Manuel Pellegrini suggests he is not the problem at West Ham as under fire boss comes out fighting

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Manuel Pellegrini is a man fighting for his job but the Chilean has suggested he is not the problem at West Ham United.

The Hammers are in freefall.

No wins in seven games stretching back two long months.

Short of quality and depth in several key areas with little prospect of being given any money to spend in January.

And officially the toughest remaining fixture schedule in the entire league, read full story here.

The infamous West Ham blame game has started in earnest

Add the fact that the infamous West Ham blame game has begun in earnest via the usual suspects who have the ear of co-owner David Sullivan, and the picture looks bleak for Pellegrini.

Former Newcastle and Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has been strongly linked as Pellegrini’s replacement.

Defeat to Tottenham on Saturday and that particular rumour could be tested.

West Ham fans are split divided over the future of Pellegrini, whose name and praises were being sung by the Hammers faithful not so long ago.

Some believe he should be doing better with the squad he has.

Busting the ‘big-spending’ Hammers myth

Others believe the owners are to blame. And it is easy to see why. There is a common misconception in the media – through a lack of research – that West Ham have spent large amounts of money under Pellegrini.

The truth is over the three transfer windows since appointing Pellegrini, David Sullivan and David Gold have only invested £115million net in a team that was struggling against relegation before the Chilean’s arrival.

For context, newly-promoted Aston Villa spent £150million net in the summer alone.

For further context West Ham have the second highest number of season ticket holders in the Premier League – for the fourth season on the trot – behind only Manchester United.

All the speculation over his future appeared to finally get to Pellegrini. That’s if his pre-match press conference for the big game against Spurs is anything to go by.

Irked Pellegrini insists he is not the problem at West Ham

The 66-year-old has come out fighting. And Pellegrini has suggested HE nor the fans are the problem at West Ham.

Instead Pellegrini says the inability of the club and his players to match his ambition and big team mentality is the issue.

“I think that with 33 years in this profession I know what football is,” Pellegrini said – as reported by the club’s official website – when grilled about his future by the press.

“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.

“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.”