Manuel Pellegrini has every right to be optimistic ahead of new season despite penalty defeat to Athletic Bilbao
MANUEL Pellegrini has reason to be cautiously cheerful at West Ham United. Sebastien Haller arrived recently for a club record £45million and having scored on his debut, already looks a handful. Ignore the Frenchman’s glorious own goal that gifted Atheltic Bilbao the lead during the Hammers’ fourth Betway Cup defeat from five today and West […]
MANUEL Pellegrini has reason to be cautiously cheerful at West Ham United.
Sebastien Haller arrived recently for a club record £45million and having scored on his debut, already looks a handful.
Ignore the Frenchman’s glorious own goal that gifted Atheltic Bilbao the lead during the Hammers’ fourth Betway Cup defeat from five today and West Ham have a serious player on their hands.
Add to that the potent and technical attacking threat provided by the pocket-sized midfield trio of Jack Wilshere, Manuel Lanzini and new signing Pablo Fornals and there will be many Premier League managers quivering in their boots at the prospect of trying to keep the ball out of their net against the East Londoners this season.
Declan Rice and Felipe Anderson will complete a formidable looking midfield five while a settled defensive partnership between Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop will make for solid cover in front of last year’s player-of-the-year Lukasz Fabianski.
But despite the new and refreshing sense of optimism pulsing through those of a Claret and Blue persuasion at the moment, proceeding with caution is advised.
Haller’s 6ft 6in frame and combative all action style will thrill fans at the London Stadium and go some way toward banishing memories of Marko ‘the mercenary’ Arnautovic, but if the ex-Eintracht Frankfurt man gets injured or suspended the Hammers are in trouble.
Newly anointed number 9 Javier Hernandez is the only recognised striker left in West Ham’s ranks if Haller can’t play.
And while many sing the praises of the Mexican, ‘all action’ and ‘combative’ are not phrases regularly attributed to the former Man Utd and Real Madrid man who is one of the club’s highest earners on around £140k-a-week.
While the transfer window is open, anything can happen.
Pellegrini kept tight-lipped on transfers
Speaking after the game, Pellegrini brushed aside my suggestion that his squad is light upfront, insisting Hernandez and Haller are different players before reminding me the perennial Jack-of-all-trades Michail Antonio can also play as a striker.
In characteristically cool fashion, Pellegrini said: “They are different players.
“Javier is an absolute box player and he always scores ten to 12 goals per season. When you play with a striker like Javier who scores so many goals, as a team you must try to create the most amount of chances inside the box so he will score.
“Haller is a player that works more in the space and supports the ball so I am happy with both of them.
“We also have Antonio that plays in that position so we have options.”
Pellegrini has been pushing for a big team mentality both on and off the pitch since taking charge at the London Stadium last summer.
And while he described last season’s progress as a ‘big step’, the Chilean will struggle to build on that without attacking reinforcement.
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West Ham’s first eleven looks strong. Some have even described it as their best for more than a decade. But upfront, their bench does not and they need to add another striker before the window shuts.
And despite his clear and obvious effort to avoid criticising Hernandez today, you get the feeling the wily old Chilean knows it.
Signing off with the trademark glint in his eye, he reassured me: “While the transfer window is open, anything can happen.”
