Exclusive: The Latest on West Ham's Managerial Situation Following Defeat to Arsenal
Manuel Pellegrini is at risk of losing his job as West Ham manager should his side fall to defeat in this weekend's trip to Southampton.
The Hammers slipped to a loss against Arsenal at the London Stadium on Monday night, surrendering a goal advantage to fall to a third consecutive home defeat, and now sit just one point above the relegation zone following a poor recent run.
Pellegrini's side have picked up just one win in their last ten Premier League games - a stretch that has seen them accrue just five points out of a possible 30 - and the Chilean has cut a prickly figure in recent media meetings.
Unrest has grown within the club, too. A number of West Ham's senior players - including captain Mark Noble - have expressed their concerns at the current situation. 90min understands that these frustrations have been raised to the club's hierarchy in recent weeks.
Former Manchester City boss Pellegrini has, until now, maintained full support from the club's board, with majority owner David Sullivan loathe to making a managerial change mid-season. But his hand may be forced, with the manner of West Ham's defeats in recent weeks of significant concern.
If the decision to remove Pellegrini from his post was to be made, a short-term appointment until the end of the season is the most likely option - allowing West Ham to re-evaluate their position in the summer. A managerial change could also lead to director of football Mario Husillos - who is close to Pellegrini and worked with him previously at Malaga - to also depart.
Assistant manager Enzo Maresca has been taking a more hands-on role in training in recent weeks, leading sessions in the buildup to last weekend's surprise win over Chelsea.
As for Pellegrini, he has remained defiant in the face of continued adversity, insisting after the Arsenal clash that he is "not worried about relegation" despite the Hammers' poor form. Instead, he claims he is more concerned about the number of goals being conceded in home games.
One thing that can't be denied is that West Ham have backed Pellegrini in the transfer market by spending significant amounts of money. Sebastien Haller arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt for a club-record £45m fee in the summer, but he has struggled to settle in east London - and looked woefully out of sorts in a 20 minute cameo against Arsenal.
Felipe Anderson and Pablo Fornals are two other high profile recruits bought in over the past 18 months, but both have failed to make any kind of impact this season, despite Anderson enjoying a relatively successful first campaign at the club.
With confidence at an all-time low, a decision could be made sooner rather than later if results don't pick up. A positive result at Southampton would appear to be a must ahead of a Boxing Day clash with London rivals Crystal Palace.
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