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Ranieri Joins West Ham Managerial Merry Go Round

nevillenixon's picture
Submitted by nevillenixon on Thu, 17/05/2018 - 17:46

At least West Ham United are headline news for other than a footballing catastrophe, as news and media outlets jockey for their respective conservative and outlandish candidates as to who will become the club's next manager. Appointing a new manager will be a bit of a long haul given all the varaibles, both fiscal and instituitionally in E20, who ever comes in will have to deal with the board, namely David Sullivan and others! The reality is that through share options and various financial underwriting David sullivan is essentially the owner and therefore the 'face' of West Ham and the person who pulls all the strings.

The much publicised meeting between Sullivan and Fonseca was rumoured to have gone well, and contrary to some reports a deal to bring the Jorge Mendes backed manager to London is still on the back burner. The 'Rafa' Factor is of course being given a lot of coverage, with the 'will he or won't he'? jump from Mike Ashley's frying pan to West Ham's fire question being asked.

Apparently Manuel Pelligrini's representatives have met with the West Ham hierarchy to discuss a possible 'arrangement' but that is so unlikely to happen given the massive wages that Pelligrini receives, and there would have to be a settlement with his current club, so given Hammers' owners' general disposition as to not spending a penny more than they can get away with, such a deal is highly unlikely to come to fruition.

Tinkerman anyone? Fresh from a less than succesful spell at Nantes and available without a 'compensation' fee, Claudio Ranieri is available and is a late arrival in the managerial race. He can operate on a limited budget and likes his teams to play attractive attacking football, in that respect he ticks all the boxes and might prove to be a perfect fit, and would be a far less expensive option than Rafa Benitez.

The Tinkerman story has legs, could they lead through the chaos that is West Ham?

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Deluded Hammer's picture

Before we got that over-rated Croatian and got laughed out. Of course he went to Leicester and won the title.

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186 users have voted.
TungstenHammer's picture

Ranieri would be a good choice for West Ham if we cannot afford Rafael Benitez. If we were to offer the job to Ranieri I would also ask him if he wanted to bring Steve Walsh on board again - we currently have a vacancy for Head of Recruitment.
Steve Walsh was Ranieri's head of recruitment and Assistant Manager at Leicester and was credited with scouting and recommending Jamie Vardy, Riyadh Mahrez and N'Golo Kante when they were unknown and unrated in the UK at this level.
Whilst at Chelski Steve Walsh was credited with the signings of players such as Gianfranco Zola, Didier Drogba and Michael Essien. Walsh was recruited a couple of years ago by Everton to be their Director of Football and he is now unemployed. It seems he has had to carry the can, unfairly perhaps, for the abject failure of Ronald Koeman who spent a great deal of money and took Everton into the relegation zone. However his record as a scout is very good indeed, just what West Ham need.

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160 users have voted.
asheshammer's picture

I think that's the most likely appointment. Oddmakers think so. Sully is saying "next 24 hours", which to me probably rules out Benitez, since disentangling him from Newcastle probably cant be done that quickly.

I really doubt that Pellegrini can be successful at West Ham. He's been out of touch for two years and has not covered himself in glory in China. We all know that he won the Premier League with the best team money can buy. What is more important to look at is the dip in form subsequently, the fact that he didn't get another high profile job immediately after that, and what the hell he is doing in China apart from making money.

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159 users have voted.
Essexhammer's picture

I disagree Ashes ,Pelligrini is a good fit for Westham.Fans would take to the Pelligrini style of playing two up front.His philosophy is if a team hasn't got the ball they can't score,so his teams play possession football....how refreshing will that be!!! His preferred set up is 4-2-2-2,but he's not inflexible. He doesn't use out and out wide players ,he leaves it to the players responsibility(defenders,midfielders and forwards) to take up wide positions when called for,so basically he allows his teams play with more freedom ,but his brand is basically attacking football.
https://www.coachesvoice.com/manuel-pellegrini/

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150 users have voted.

Ranieri has taken the can for a lot of failures by boards not willing to spend money mainly when his unproven signings have not proved to be as good as the likes of Vardy and as Tungsten Hammer says when Steve Walsh was not around as his recruitment man.
I like Ranieri's style of play and I suspect most Hammers fans will like it if he comes here. The big question is will he come here knowing it is yet another club not willing to spend more than £50m at most and wants sales before sanctioning new players?
Watching West Ham this season and most of last season was not a pleasant thing to do and the atmosphere at the London Stadium has been awful watching our team struggle in 90% of our games and that desperately needs changing.
It might work out only if Ranieri has a decent team of coaches/assistants behind him and if the Board can recruit Steve Walsh as well for example we might just have a chance of getting in the top half of the Premier again and with Ranieri possibly a 7th spot and European football eventually?
We wont challenge the top 6 with our Board in control but we would get a much better brand of football to watch.

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156 users have voted.

A D Bonds

asheshammer's picture

That's a quote from Sullivan about whoever the next manager will be. What's strange is that he insinuates it will be someone like Benitez (won the Champions League = highest level), but it could equally apply to Pellegrini (EPL title) or Ranieri (EPL title). Not sure how well "proven record of success" fits Ranieri, since he has really had very mixed results as a manager in Italy, England and France. The EPL title with Leicester might be the highest level, but was it a fluke? To me it still seems like they are going to appoint Pellegrini.

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164 users have voted.

Knowing our board it will be who the cheapest is! Benitez and Pellegrini will want a large salary and a good kitty (at least £100M) I may like Ranieri but Benitez is better but will cost too much for our board. I will be very surprised if Benitez comes here. Pellegrini far too expensive and not sure about his style either?
It's why I think Ranieri is the one Sullivan is after. Don't get me wrong, Benitez would be very good choice I just don't think we would pay his salary or fund him well enough!

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154 users have voted.

A D Bonds

However, Leicester were in a relegation battle last season, that explains why Ranieri was fired. He almost had the same players except Kante who signed for Chelsea. No doubt he was a key player, but hard to believe that Leicester were that awful in the second year of Ranieri's reign. Consistency is what matters!!

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152 users have voted.

Look what he did with Malaga and Villareal on poor budgets and explain how he isnt better then Ranieri whose biggest claim to fame is the complete fluke and underperforming top clubs that was Leicester winning the league. then him getting sacked because he he was terrible tactically

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165 users have voted.

Fonseca, emery, pelligrini, Benitez, raneri, why not add pep and klopp into the mix it's doesn't matter I'm not believing it. Even if we got one of them they wouldn't trouble sullivans cheque book. Welcome to west ham .... Chris Coleman.

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152 users have voted.
North Bank Hammer's picture

We would have been in good nick by signing Moyes properly. Yes he doesn’t setup for entertainment but we would be safe. Sugo won’t sell until 2023 when they are free to sell and keep the lot. They won’t spend to have a great team so we need a strategist that can do it with what’s on offer. Moyes did okay with someone elses choices of players so things were going to improve. He had spent time scouting and was ready. The new Manager coming in is going from scratch and will have to work out who he wants to keep. Too much to do and not enough time. All the excitement about top managers reminds me of somebody saying something about being deluded.

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131 users have voted.

If its pellegrini fair enough good luck to him,hes going to need it with this board...moyes - im not his biggest fan,but he got to know the players & anyone who can get the best out of arnie like he did is alright in my book...i still think moyesy called all the shots to carry on & the egotists were having none of it (well sully & bonus at least!!).
Will this board back the new manager??jurys out on that one...

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153 users have voted.
North Bank Hammer's picture

The board aren't football people and prefer to have as few of those as possible. Too many of that dreaded bread and the call for bigger money gets louder with far too much good reasoning to support it. 2023 can't come soon enough.

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152 users have voted.

I believe in 2023 a clause that states that a big percentnage of any sale of the club has to go to the people who run the stadium expires. Which co incidentally is why Sully said to give him 5 more years to try get the club to a 'higher level'

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155 users have voted.
asheshammer's picture

i see. so five more years of the circus then.

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161 users have voted.
North Bank Hammer's picture

I had to go out to collect my wife from her sister’s and my youngest from youth club. Wife was close to off her face, poor luv so I left her there longer and went back again. By the time we got home it was somewhat late etcetera etcetera. I’m very glad that Fred stepped in to cover for me, thank you Fred.

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138 users have voted.

West Ham turn their attention to Manuel Pellegrini as Newcastle block Rafa Benitez move. Apparently, the new manager will be named by the end of the week. So not long to go. I support Pellegrini's appointment, but he will require a huge budget. No doubt he can attract some huge talent to the club. But are Gold and Sullivan willing to part with a precious proportion of their assets to take West Ham to the next level?

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144 users have voted.
asheshammer's picture

And when he played them like a fiddle, they were left without Moyes and holding a VERY expensive bag. Benitez would have been £6M in salary alone, not to mention whatever it would cost to prize him away from Newcastle. But he was too smart for Sullivan and made his demands up front: £100M in transfers. Guess what: that's probably what we need to spend! So now it's Pellegrini (IF they can do a deal). He's getting an immense salary in China, knows the situation West Ham are in -- do you think he'll come cheap? Not on your life. Another balls-up by Sullivan. For a businessman, he sure doesn't seem to know what he is doing.

Apparently Pellegrini wants £12.5M salary and a 2 year deal. Worse: there are a few reports (hopefully just agent's meddling) that if Pellegrini comes, he could be "reunited" with 35 year old Yaya Toure. Yaya was great in his day, but this is not the sort of signing we need. And I could see the whole summer budget frittered away on old farts (including manager) -- Pelegrini has been managing old farts in China; sometimes you can deceive yourself into thinking they still have pace.

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157 users have voted.
asheshammer's picture

Reports are coming out that West Ham will follow through on the Super Mario deal. I guess we can dither about whether he's worth £25M or thereabouts, but I think most people felt he was contributing a lot at the end of the season and showed potential to contribute more. And he, at least, is only 25.

(Of course it's not done until it's done)

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174 users have voted.
asheshammer's picture

They definitely improved the fitness levels. One of the longstanding complaints against Bilic was the lack of serious training. Some managers thing the intensity levels are up to the commitment of the players. Moyes and Pearce thought otherwise, and that made a difference to our survival. I only hope that Pellegrini, or whoever comes in, realises that!

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144 users have voted.
nevillenixon's picture

Is it beyond comprehension that Pearce could be retained? If Pellegrini does become the next manager he may well want Pearce by his side

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160 users have voted.
Essexhammer's picture

The entire back room staff have gone,but I couldn't see Pearce staying even if he wanted to.Pelligrini would want his own staff using tried and tested coaching techniques that he would rely on.Some players have commented that Moyes and the training staff were using dated coaching methods,not so much getting them fit,but tactically

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123 users have voted.

If true, why oh why is this pelegrini approach being played out in the public domain? Have these deadbeats learnt nothing from the way they run our club? I'm assuming they have the onset of dementia as they seem to have forgotten the bacca scenario. Get it done and then tell us.

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151 users have voted.
Essexhammer's picture

I don't think they intended to have all this out in the media,but it seems Westham have sources that leak alot of private info...what can they do? Nothing ....,it takes no time to appear on the digital media platform,you will never stop it,unless they trace all the leaks back to the source and tell them to button it or it's the sack.

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160 users have voted.
asheshammer's picture

Three year deal. To be confirmed Monday. So now we must get behind him and hope that the club gives him their full backing.

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161 users have voted.

I heard he is coming over on Monday when the China season has a break to discuss his wages and how much he has! So what on earth HAS he already discussed so far then? As for leaks mmm look no further than the 3 trappy bozos who run the club. Keep things quiet? I admire your belief, Essex but they all three have the form.

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156 users have voted.

It has been confirmed by Hebei China Fortune that Pellegrini has left the club after his last game in charge. So it is 99% likely that he will sign a contract with West Ham. Meanwhile am watching the FA Cup final with Chelsea leading 1-0. This maybe West Ham next season in the final. :) Also, maybe he will bring along a certain 33 year old Argentinian defender called Mascherano along with him. Have you heard of him? LOL

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46 users have voted.

Well Toronto if that's true it's a step in the right direction. Now only wages and spending to be confirmed and then we can move onto another candidate! In other news. Whilst watching the cup final build up the other half asked if there was such a player as pele, I said there was and then she followed up with, wasn't he ginger? I very much doubt she has heard of James Collins tho!

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42 users have voted.

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