Manuel Pellegrini has sent a message to West Ham fans after being asked about four English teams reaching the finals of European cups this season.
The Hammers manager stated that his players should posses the ‘desire to improve’, and have a ‘big team’ mentality regardless of whether other English clubs are doing well.
Pellegrini then directly addressed Hammers supporters by saying success started with them as they needed 60,000 fans behind them when pinpointing what the London club could do to match the success of their Premier League rivals.
Pellegrini won the Premier League with Manchester City back in 2014, and the Chilean would no doubt like to see the same success with West Ham.
“You don’t need to see England has four teams in the finals of the European cups to have the desire to be a player who wants to improve and play at as high a level as you can,” said Pellegrini, as quoted by the official Hammers website.
“There are a lot of things behind that mentality that represent why those teams and players are always trying to win.
“We must do the same, starting with having 60,000 people behind us.”
OPINION
Since their arrival at the London Stadium, West Ham have arguably once again established themselves as a Premier League club, who don’t at all look in any danger of return trip back down to the Championship any time soon. However, it seems the Hammers manager wants more from the club, and wants to find that extra step up in mentality on the field. Although arguably West Ham are already considered a ‘big club’, it seems that Pellegrini believes that they can do more, starting with the attendance of the fans. With regards to their fan base, West Ham have a very strong leg to stand on, and have been known in recent years for their excellent support. This could be the perfect time for the club’s board and owners to give the Hammers a real push, and make sure that they are doing everything in their power to make sure West Ham are seen as the ‘big club’ that fans, and the manager, believe that they can be.
