West Ham United FC news: Five things Manuel Pellegrini must do to be a success at the London Stadium
New West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini will be under no illusions of the size of the task he faces at the London Stadium.
After a turbulent 2017 which saw star man Dimitri Payet demand a move away, a wretched first full season in their new home and Slaven Bilic sacked, the club will be hoping they can finish this year on a more positive note.
The appointment of Pellegrini represents a step in the right direction for West Ham, the Chilean has serious footballing pedigree and has always been a success in Europe.
For so long, the board have talked about taking the club to the fabled next level and now they finally have a manager capable of doing so.
However, it will certainly not be plain sailing.
In the following article, there are five very realistic steps the former Manchester City boss will have to take to ensure he is a success in east London.
Scroll down to see what they are.
1) Keep David Sullivan away from transfers
Hammers fans are happy with Sullivan...for now
The PR team at West Ham must, at times, get extremely frustrated with their bosses. More often than not, it is a case of one step forward, two steps back. For too long, Sullivan has put his oar in when it comes to footballing matters and Pellegrini cannot allow that to stand. As the most decorated manager to ever take charge of the Hammers, once can only hope he throws his weight around and demands total control over transfers or risk signing the likes of Jordan Hugill once again.
2) Insist on working with a director of football
Macia has the ability to attract quality footballers to the club, if given the proper remit to do so
In order to truly establish the club in the Premier League and develop a genuine style, West Ham need a director of football. As mentioned in the previous point, David Sullivan has too often gone for the quick fix Patrice Evra and Joe Hart to name a few. Leicester Citys Head of Player Recruitment Eduardo Macia could be tempted to a long-term project in east London, especially if he is given significant backing to do so. It would stop the club from turning into an elephants graveyard and a complete and utter laughing stock.
3) Keep Marko Arnautovic
After the fiasco of the Payet situation, the Hammers will be desperate to keep the talismanic Arnautovic
Arnautovic was one of the major factors in West Ham obtaining Premier League survival with the Austria winger hitting form just in time. After an underwhelming start following his club-record transfer from Stoke City last summer, Arnautovic finished the season with 11 goals and six assists to help ensure the Hammers were able to extend their six-year stay in the top flight. However, with good form comes big demand, and there is little doubt other clubs will be closely monitoring the former Inter Milan forward's situation at the London Stadium.
4) Find a way to get the best out of Hernandez and Carroll
Together, these two could be a threat to any Premier League defence
Arnautovic was the only West Ham player to reach double figures in goals this season, with Javier Hernandez and Andy Carroll - the team's two main centre-forwards - managing only 11 between them during a disappointing campaign. Moyes experienced problems with Carroll but Pellegrini inherits a ready-made strike force which, if fit and firing, can pose problems for any Premier League defence. A big striker playing alongside a natural finisher has reaped dividends for many clubs down the years, and a Carroll-Hernandez partnership has the potential to be a lethal one for the Hammers if it can be made to work.
5) Find a way to get the best out of Manuel Lanzini
The Argentine is adored in east London, but must add consistency to his game
One of Manuel Pellegrinis greatest assets is he is able to get the best out of skilful yet inconsistent players. For example, Isco came to the fore under the 64-year-old at Malaga and Manchester City fans saw the best of Samir Nasri while he was at the helm. West Ham fans know just how talented Lanzini is after three seasons at the club. And you dont get called up to the Argentina World Cup squad to play as a creative midfielder for nothing these days. Honing that raw ability into genuine talent through increased consistency will mean the Hammers could have a genuine superstar on their hands.