Jimmy Bullard delivered a damning verdict on West Ham’s decision to appoint Manuel Pellegrini as their new manager.
The retired midfielder, who was briefly on the Hammers books as a youth player, shared that he just didn’t think the former Manchester City boss was right for the club.
Bullard then went on to claim that Pellegrini was perhaps following the money to the London Stadium as his career path just seemed weird to the former Premier League star.
“I wasn’t a fan of Moyes being appointed at West Ham but I just don’t see Pellegrini as a Hammers Man,” said Bullard in his blog for BetBright.
“You might think there’s no pleasing me and granted, I don’t have the answer, but we need someone with a bit of kick-and-bite, rather than a manager, who let’s be honest, is probably only coming to us because he’s been offered a tidy little deal.
“It just seems weird that he’s gone from Man City, to China and ended up at West Ham, but then you’ve got to wonder whether or not that’s just football today and managers are following the money like a lot of the players – fair play to them to be honest!
“No disrespect, but in the future I think we’ll generally see a higher caliber of manager at lesser clubs for one reason: WONGA!”
OPINION
While Bullard isn’t pleased over Pellegrini’s arrival at the London Stadium only time will tell if his displeasure ends up being justified. The former Premier League star points to money being the reason for the respected manager’s arrival at the Hammers, and with the contract he is on, Bullard might have a point. According to the Independent, Pellegrini will earn £10million-per-year from his Hammers contract, which is an astronomical amount to receive. However if the manager delivers the goods then he will totally be worth that investment and deserve all the money the club throw at him. While Bullard may have issued a somewhat damning verdict on the club’s decision to hire Pellegrini, it does seem like the right candidate was chosen. The former Man City boss has all the know-how on what makes a club successful in the Premier League and there’s no reason to suggest that glory isn’t about to arrive at the London Stadium. The retired midfielder may claim that the only factor at play is money, but it’s hard to argue with Pellegrini’s CV.
