The Downfall of Pellegrini’s West Ham Reign
Former West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini has openly admitted that goalkeeper Roberto’s disastrous performances played a significant role in his dismissal from the London club last December. In an exclusive interview with Chilean newspaper La Tercera, the 66-year-old tactician shared insights about his premature departure from the London Stadium, marking his first mid-season sacking in two decades of management.
Goalkeeping Crisis That Shook West Ham’s Season
The Hammers’ season took a dramatic turn when first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski suffered a hip injury during their September match against Bournemouth. This forced Pellegrini to rely on summer signing Roberto, who failed spectacularly to fill the void.
“Unfortunately, we had a major injury to our starting goalkeeper that lasted four months,” Pellegrini revealed. “The performance of our second-choice [Roberto] fell far below expectations. He was responsible for several conceded goals, which led to a loss of confidence throughout the team.”
The Spanish goalkeeper’s errors became so frequent that Pellegrini eventually dropped him in favor of third-choice David Martin, but the damage to both results and team morale had already been done.
West Ham’s defensive vulnerabilities were exposed during Roberto’s stint as starting goalkeeper
Boardroom Decisions and Managerial Changes
West Ham’s hierarchy showed little patience as results deteriorated, appointing David Moyes as Pellegrini‘s successor in December. The Chilean manager acknowledged the realities of modern football management: “In football, you must always understand that the responsibility falls on you first. When negative streaks happen, players lose confidence and you must find solutions. Sometimes you don’t, and boards lose patience.”
Pellegrini joined an elite list of managers who faced mid-season dismissals, noting: “This has happened to Mourinho, Pochettino, Emery… What makes it different is that it never happened to me before.”
Aftermath and Current Situation
Since Pellegrini‘s departure, West Ham have loaned Roberto to Spanish club Alaves, while bringing back Darren Randolph from Middlesbrough to provide competition for the now-fit Fabianski. The Chilean manager admitted the sacking “hurt” him personally, marking an uncharacteristic break in his managerial career: “It’s the first time in 20 years I didn’t finish a season. At Real Madrid I didn’t complete my contract, but I finished the season.”
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