OPINION
It is easy to forget the way in which Manchester City demolished teams on a regular basis under Manuel Pellegrini on their way to the title in 2013/14.
The club had several massive wins against some of the Premier League’s biggest sides, and ended up scoring a record 156 goals in all competitions.
At the centre of it all was attacking midfielder David Silva, who ended the season with eight goals and 16 assists as City won the double under the Chilean.
It now sounds as though Pellegrini has identified which West Ham player he would like to play in that Silva role, pulling the strings behind the front men as part of a devastating attacking force.
As reported by Hammers news site Claret and Hugh, Pellegrini is set to install namesake Manuel Lanzini as the lynchpin of his Hammers attack.
The 25-year-old is said to be keen to get going under the incoming South American regime at the London Stadium, and is now set for a massive role in Pellegrini’s masterplan for success at the club.
All things considered this looks like the perfect move from Pellegrini as he looks to get the best out of his current squad while also seeking to bring in some new talent.
Lanzini has always been earmarked as a big talent at West Ham, but has never really broken through to reach the levels of a player like Silva, who performs at such a high level so consistently.
The Argentine obviously has the talent, but for whatever reason he has not managed to harness that in the best way in order to turn himself into a bona fide Premier League star.
Having a South American manager come in and place faith in him like this is sure to be the exact boost he needs to perform to that highest level next season, and Hammers fans may end up seeing a totally different Lanzini next season.
That is a seriously exciting prospect, and if Lanzini does manage to find some consistency, then there is no reason he cannot go on to emulate Silva and his productivity under Pellegrini.
