Tony Gale shared that he hoped West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini fielded a strong side against Tottenham in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
The pundit, who is often seen on Sky Sports’ Premier League Daily Show, revealed that he believed fans expected something from the cup clash with Spurs and added that it was the perfect opportunity for the Hammers manager to win over fans.
Gale revealed that if Pellegrini was able to get a cup competition under his belt then he could be a hero for life at West Ham.
“I hope so (they field a strong side) as this is a great opportunity for the manager to win the fans over I would say,” said the Sky pundit on talkSPORT (Wednesday October 31, 8:09am).
“They’re not gonna get in the Champions League or Europe this season or anything like that and you’d think they’re going to be safe in terms of staying up.
“If he can get a cup competition under his belt, cor blimey he could be a hero for life at West Ham.
“I think the fans expect something tonight so I hope he puts a good a team out tonight, because Spurs after Monday, they’re going to be a bit tired aren’t that after Monday.”
OPINION
Gale who knows the Hammers very well after playing 300 times for them during his playing career is spot-on with his remarks. While the EFL Cup isn’t the most prestigious trophy to win, it’s better than not lifting one this season. The tournament seems like a realistic one for the Hammers to win and it would be a shame if they went crashing out. While Pellegrini’s side will need to overcome Spurs on Wednesday to just get to the next round of the competition, it’s something the team are very capable of doing. The Hammers almost grabbed a result against Mauricio Pochettino’s side in the league recently as while Spurs won 1-0, Pellegrini’s side dominated the second half of that match. The only issue with Gale’s remarks is that Pellegrini is probably not going to field a full-strength side as with there being a bit of an injury crisis in midfield, he won’t want to risk too many first-choice players in that department. However Pellegrini should still have enough capable players to call upon in order to get a result.
