OPINION
There’s no doubt that the managerial situation is a rocky one at West Ham United. The fans seem to have turned on current boss Manuel Pellegrini, and you do get the sense that he’s a dead man walking at the moment.
The team’s current run without a win has made things almost untenable for the Chilean, yet he continues to limp on. However, that doesn’t mean the club aren’t already eyeing potential replacements for the manager.
Indeed, The Guardian reported on Friday that the Hammers are monitoring the situation of interim Arsenal boss Freddie Ljungberg, a former Irons player, of course.
The Swede has taken the reins at the Emirates Stadium until a successor for recently-sacked Unai Emery is appointed, but it doesn’t look as if he will get the job permanently unless he does something special.
That would open up the possibility of West Ham swooping in and snaring him should they dismiss Pellegrini. A lot of things would have to happen for it to work out like that, but David Sullivan and David Gold seemingly have their eye on the 42-year-old at the very least.
However, he would represent an extremely brave appointment for the east London outfit. This is a rookie manager – although one now in charge of a Europa League team.
Going for someone with next to no managerial experience, given the mess that the Irons are in at the moment, would represent a hard reset at the London Stadium.
Is that what the club needs right now? That’s for you to say. But this would be a big step into the unknown, and one that could have either inspired or disastrous consequences.
