West Ham vs Leicester City - We all need to improve for next season - Pellegrini

Posted Friday, April 19, 2019 by PA

Manuel Pellegrini has demanded continued improvement at West Ham next season – including from himself.

Having opened the campaign with four straight Premier League defeats, Pellegrini has gone on to oversee a campaign of progression, which could yet end with a top-half finish.

The former Real Madrid and Manchester City boss hopes to avoid matching that losing run when Leicester head to the London Stadium on Saturday.

West Ham were somewhat unfortunate to have been beaten 2-1 at Manchester United last weekend, and Pellegrini believes the approach of his side is testament to continued hard work.

Asked if he was conscious of the calmness he appeared to have now instilled around the east London club, Pellegrini said: “Yes, I think so. Not only me though, the club in the way we work this season, the fans have noticed the change.

“In the way we have played football it compares better even if we haven’t always got the results.

“The fans enjoy most parts of our games, including Manchester United last week, so there is a lot reasons why we must be happy.

“But I repeat, we must all demand more next season because this is not enough.

“We can reach another target and that is what we will try to do.”

Having slumped to a 2-0 defeat by Everton in their last home game, Pellegrini is expecting a response against the Foxes.

“I think the players must demonstrate here at home, that we will finish the season in the correct way,” he said.

West Ham will need to rediscover form over the closing games if they are to break back into the top half.

“I always say that you will never give up until the mathematics say so. If you have the opportunity you must fight to the last game,” Pellegrini added.

“Of course, if you lose points it makes it more difficult, but we have four games left and we must try to win them.”

Leicester, meanwhile, are pressing for a potential European qualifying place by finishing the in seventh.

Pellegrini has been impressed with the impact made by Brendan Rodgers since the former Liverpool boss headed back south from Celtic.

“The results Brendan has had at Leicester have been very good,” Pellegrini said at a press conference reported on the West Ham website.

“He is a manager that knows the Premier League, and I think also that Leicester is a very good team with good players. They are playing with a lot of trust in this moment.”

Rodgers has also spoken of his admiration for Pellegrini – the man who beat him to the Premier League
title.

Rodgers was in charge of the last Liverpool team to mount a serious title challenge during the 2013/14 season, losing out to Pellegrini’s Manchester City side.

Late slip-ups against Chelsea and Crystal Palace ultimately cost Liverpool, allowing City to pip them to the trophy by two points.

Rodgers will face Pellegrini for the first time since that disappointment when Leicester travel to the London Stadium on Saturday.

Ahead of the game, he said: “He’s a really good guy. He stopped us winning the title a few years back but he’s a great man, wonderfully experienced.

“I have come across him a few times and I spoke to him last summer when he came back from China and went to West Ham.

“He’s done a fantastic job wherever he’s been in his career. West Ham have some really good players and his job is to co-ordinate them to hopefully challenge at top end of the table.

“I look forward to seeing him, he’s a top class manager. He’s someone I really respect.”

The Foxes’ away record is the sixth best in the Premier League, better than Arsenal’s.

“That’s a huge credit to the players because they have a resilience and good mentality and strong spirit and when you go away from home you have to have that,” said Rodgers.

“They have that fight and they have shown that already in the games we have played so far.”

Marc Albrighton will be available to start the game at West Ham. The winger returned last week from a two-month absence with a hamstring problem, playing the final 10 minutes of the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle.

While the 29-year-old is not yet able to complete 90 minutes, he is fit enough to be selected in the starting line-up.