It was all change for West Ham United in the summer but Stuart Pearce has hinted some things have not changed.
West Ham owners David Sullivan and David Gold appointed Manuel Pellegrini and backed him with £100 million worth of new signings.
That came after angry fan protests which marred last season.
Supporters were calling for Sullivan and Gold to sell up.
And it appears to have had the desired effect.
The Hammers finally showed the kind of ambition promised when the club left Upton Park for the London Stadium.
A major bone of contention for fans was the involvement of the owners in transfers, particularly Sullivan.
‘I know the board certainly want to have their say’
The unpopular owner pledged to step back from recruitment, though, and hired Mario Husillos as director of football.
But former Hammer Stuart Pearce, who was assistant to David Moyes at West Ham last term, has suggested on Sky Sports’ The Debate the owners are still involved in transfers.
“I wouldn’t know who was and who isn’t (signing the players), I know the board certainly want to have their say on who comes through the door,” Pearce told The Debate.
“The modern day board, the modern day chairman want to have hands on with regard some of the signings that come through the door, I don’t think that’s healthy.
“I think if you’re going to coach or manage the team you’ve got to be the one that says ‘These are the players I want’ give a list of those players to the chairman or the director of football then they’ve got to go in the market place and financially deliver, you get option one, option two and so on otherwise I’m not sure it works.
‘It can’t be healthy’
“To have board members that get advised by agents to sign this player or that player, or to have one agent solely supplying one club with players, he’s got a vested interest and it can’t be healthy for any football club.”
Sullivan has claimed all transfers are now down to Pellegrini and his director of football Husillos.
Pearce then revealed the club had already targeted Ryan Fredericks and Jack Wilshere before the duo arrived.
“Fredericks (was discussed during Pearce’s time at the club), Fredericks was,” Pearce added.
In Pellegrini (and Husillos) we trust?
“Jack Wilshere as well, but I mean every club in the Premier League probably discussed Wilshere.
Of course it could be that Pellegrini was lined up as far back as January.
Therefore he may have had a say in the targeting of both Fredericks and Wilshere.
The truth is we will probably never know for sure.
For now Hammers fans must trust in the new system.
And they must back Pellegrini and Husillos to get things right from recruitment to the results on the pitch.
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