OPINION
Manuel Pellegrini has got to be hanging by a thread at West Ham.
The Chilean has overseen six successive Premier League games without a win now, and with Tottenham, Chelsea, Wolves, and Arsenal to come in the his next four clashes, it’s hard to see how his side are going to arrest their slump any time soon.
It’s only natural, therefore, that there are some discussions surrounding his future in east London, and some supposition as to who may replace him should he be given the axe.
One name that has already been touted is that of Rafa Benitez.
According to a report in the Mirror, the Hammers will turn to the Spaniard should they decide to get rid of Pellegrini, with the article describing Rafa as a “long-term target”.
And it’s not hard to see why they might be interested in Benitez.
After all, this is a man who has won the Champions League, and who managed to guide a distinctly average Newcastle United side to a mid-table finish last season despite working on a relative shoestring.
But according to a contrasting report from Sky Sports News, Pellegrini may be able to breathe easy for a little while longer.
The outlet claims that while Benitez does want a return to England one day, he has no plans of making that move imminently, and that there has been no contact made from any English side about him coming back to the Premier League.
Now, obviously, that doesn’t change the fact that Pellegrini is in trouble, but if the favourite for his job is still not officially in the running, it could mean that he has a little bit longer to turn things around.
