Former West Ham United striker Tony Cottee has claimed that the club should never have got rid of ex-manager David Moyes.
Cottee claims that he was baffled when the Hammers appointed Manuel Pellegrini as the new boss earlier this summer, and has mocked the Chilean by saying that Moyes could have provided the stability that was needed this season if he had remained in the hotseat.
He added that he does not think that the Chilean will be able to motivate his players in the 2018/19 campaign, as he did not have to do that when he was manager of Manchester City, and that the club could be in for the humiliation of relegation.
“At the end of last season I thought, ‘We have had two difficult seasons and what we need is a third season of stability.’ We had someone at the club in David Moyes who could have done that but no, the board decide to go and choose someone else,” he told Claret and Hugh.
“I just don’t understand the appointment [of Pellegrini]. It is alright saying Pellegrini is a great manager but when you are managing Manchester City and have the best players in the world it is a lot easier than coming to West Ham and having to motivate the players.
“I am worried it is going to be a battle to stay up.”
OPINION
This is a bold claim made by the former Irons’ player. Yes, West Ham have had a terrible start under new manager Pellegrini, but it is a bold thing to admit that the club should have kept David Moyes on as the boss. Moyes did not do that badly last season and the team were able to secure survival under his leadership, but it is clear that the board had bigger and better plans for the future. So far, those plans are not becoming a reality for them after pumping in the money they thought would bring them success. In a way, it is hard not to agree with Cottee when he questioned the appointment of Pellegrini. He had not proved himself in the Premier League for a while, so it was rather surprising when they appointed him. Nevertheless, he must now prove his doubters wrong, and show that he is capable of guiding his team out of the mess that they are currently in.
