West Ham: Manuel Pellegrini 'not worried' about relegation after loss to Arsenal
Last updated on .From the section West Ham
West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini is "not worried about relegation" from the Premier League even though his side are above the bottom three by only a point.
Monday's 3-1 home defeat by Arsenal was a seventh loss in nine games.
The Hammers travel to third-bottom Southampton on Saturday knowing defeat could leave them in the drop zone.
"In our last five games at home we got one draw and conceded three goals in our last three. I am more worried about that," said the Chilean.
Some people within the club believe Pellegrini, 66, could lose his job if the Hammers are beaten at St Mary's.
However, the club have repeatedly stressed they like to honour contracts, and the deal Pellegrini signed in May 2018 does not expire until 2021.
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The Hammers have spent all but one season in the top flight since 2005. This is their eighth campaign since their last promotion and they have never finished below 13th.
Following their controversial move to the 60,000-capacity London Stadium in 2016, Hammers chairman David Sullivan has give Pellegrini - appointed to succeed David Moyes in 2018 - around £165m to build a squad capable of challenging for European qualification.
Yet, with the exception of the bottom three, West Ham have the worst goal difference in the Premier League. Only four clubs have conceded in excess of their 28 goals, half of which have come in the past six games.
Striker Sebastien Haller, their £45m record signing, has scored once since August and after starting on the bench against Arsenal, the Frenchman made no impact after he was introduced 20 minutes from time.
Pellegrini accepts that, as manager, "you take responsibility for results".
"For 65 minutes there was only one team on the pitch," he added. "But we must score the second goal to decide the game. If Arsenal had scored three times from seven chances, that would be different. The game was decided in three minutes. We need to concentrate more, be more consistent and more solid."
There were thousands of empty seats visible at the final whistle after a game in which the Hammers had led through Angelo Ogbonna's deflected header, only for three goals in nine second-half minutes from Gabriel Martinelli, Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to transform the game.
Those West Ham fans who were left greeted the end of the match with whistles and jeers.
Nevertheless, Pellegrini says they are still behind his team.
"If you get one point from five games at home and concede three goals in three games, you can't expect them to be happy and not to boo," he said.
"But I don't agree the fans are not behind the team. There are 60,000 here for every game. If they weren't behind the team, the stadium would be empty."
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And why should he be?
Football is an industry where the rewards for success are huge. And the price of failure is a huge pay off sacking for managers, or a cut-price relegation exit clause leading to a money-spinning signing on fee and a likely wage rise for players.
Not a bad gig if you can get on the gravy train.
But as usual the West Ham Board haven't invested in the Summer and will buy just enough in January to keep them safe.
They were exactly the same when they owned Birmingham City.
They've never had any ambition to improve, and only spend when they need to survive.
The Premiership would be better off without the likes of Sullivan and Brady !
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I don't think that comment is gonna age well Manuel. Lol.
He commands his players: "Please, Mr Nobel & Co. if you don't mind & it is not too much trouble, would you mind kindly pushing the ball forward toward the opposition goal, unless you think otherwise & your precious little toe hurts & would not object".
For crying out loud kick their back side & make them earn the vast sums they're being paid.
WHU supporters totally blanked by the board.
Brady and her lies - it was so obvious the ground move was just an ego trip for her.
Yes Brady, it's a magnificent athletics stadium - but it's not a football ground !
The board went on a massive ego trip - at the expense of the SUPPORTERS.
Shameful.
Going down - like Brady?
The football is static, boring and predictable. The team spend most of the time fannying about passing the ball sideways, back, and eventually to the other team. It is simply awful. I certainly won't be going to the next home game if Pellegrini is still in charge.
Where did all that money go ????
What has moving to a bigger ATHLETICS stadium achieved ??
I think Southampton will be fine as Hassenhuttl is full of passion. So there's one spot left alongside Norwich and Watford and it will be West Ham if they don't get rid soon.