Former West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has issued a stark warning to manager Manuel Pellegrini after their opening 4-0 defeat to Liverpool, claiming he must get results soon after bringing in so many new players this summer.
The Hammers were comprehensively beaten by Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, with a brace from Sadio Mane and goals from Mohamed Salah and Daniel Sturridge giving the Reds a scintillating start to the season.
Allardyce has now said Pellegrini needs time for his new players to gel, with the club spending close to £100million this summer on nine players, but warned that the only way of getting that time is by achieving positive results.
Speaking on Alan Brazil’s Sports Breakfast on Talksport, Allardyce said: “You can’t expect too much sometimes off all those new players being involved in the team immediately. They need to have time, and as a manager the only way you get time is by getting results. Nobody will be patient for you.
“So at West Ham, the seven players that have been brought in – they spent heavily – need to click almost immediately. And that is going to be a big test for the manager.
“He’s got a great reputation and hopefully he can do it for West Ham and given those players that have been bought, he can give them the kind of football and results that they want.”
https://twitter.com/SportsBreakfast/status/1028885393809330176
OPINION
Allardyce is not a popular man in east London and these latest comments will undoubtedly not go down well with the Hammers faithful. Despite the poor result yesterday meaning it is easy to get carried away, most fans will be well aware that an opening game against one of the Premier League’s best sides is hardly a good indication of the season ahead. Allardyce’s point about these new players gelling quickly is spot on, but it is surely premature to suggest that Pellegrini would be in trouble if that does not happen. West Ham have not had a manager of his pedigree in charge of the club within recent memory, and the club’s board will be well aware of that. Given time, Pellegrini will no doubt see in vast improvements in every area at the London Stadium, and it is important to not jump to any conclusions too early. We are only one game into the new season, and to be making comments like this is extremely premature. This weekend’s clash with Bournemouth at home should provide a clearer indication of the club’s progress under the Chilean this summer.
