Such is the frequency of managerial changes in the Premier League it is perhaps more surprising that West Ham haven’t sacked Manuel Pellegrini yet.
Marco Silva became the latest to fall, the Portuguese sacked with Everton in the bottom three.
Unai Emery was axed at Arsenal too with the team on its worst run for more than 40 years.
Of course West Ham came along and help nip that in the bud.
Pellegrini on the brink, but should he already have his P45?
Pellegrini has overseen just one win in the last 11 games – and only four in the Premier League all season.
A bright start saw West Ham widely tipped for a European spot. But the club has nosedived from third to the brink of the relegation zone in 10 weeks.
As a result Pellegrini’s future has been the subject of intense speculation.
But as yet – and probably largely due to a shock win at Chelsea two weeks ago – he has managed to keep hold of his job.
West Ham fans are deeply unhappy with the club’s owners David Sullivan and David Gold as well as the manager.
A paltry £25million net spend in the last two transfer windows is at the heart of their beef. But also a distinct lack of progress in their near 10-year spell as owners.
Some fans believe Sullivan and Gold have ulterior motive
But supporters accept that while a change of ownership is the only thing that will see the club truly move forward, a change of manager may be a necessity to simply stay up.
Decisive action from West Ham’s struggling Premier League rivals has only served to reinforce the belief among many that Sullivan and Gold have an ulterior motive in NOT sacking Pellegrini.
Many fans believe the owners are typically penny-pinching regarding the compensation they would have to pay the Chilean if he were axed.
And just as many feel the owners are desperate for Pellegrini to get a win over Southampton this weekend so they are not forced to spend money on transfers for a new manager in January.
The payout due to Pellegrini – with 18 months left on a three-year deal that carries a reported salary of £8million per annum – coupled with the transfer funds the club would be obliged to hand any self-respecting new manager could amount to a hefty chunk of money.
Are penny-pinching owners playing with West Ham’s Premier League lives?
Victory over the Saints would put West Ham on 19 points. That is considered the halfway mark for the number of points needed to survive in a typical Premier League season.
Lose and Sullivan and Gold will surely be left with no other choice than to wave goodbye to Pellegrini.
But West Ham fans won’t be getting their hopes up of any ambitious appointments as his replacement.
Indeed reports are already circulating that first team coach Enzo Maresca (The Guardian) and the likes of youth team coaches Kevin Keen and Steve Potts are also in the frame to be interim managers should the situation arise (Football Insider).
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