Under-fire West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini cuts short post-match interview in wake of second-half collapse against Arsenal after insisting he is still the right man for the job
- REPORT: Nine-minute Arsenal blitz gives Freddie Ljungberg first win as manager
- Manuel Pellegrini was left defending his position after a defeat against Arsenal
- West Ham were leading 1-0 but soon collapsed and were eventually beaten 3-1
- The Chilean cut short his post-match interview after being asked about his role
- He insisted he can ‘fix it’ and that he is still the right man to manage this side
Manuel Pellegrini bullishly defended his position as West Ham boss and insisted he remains the man to ‘fix’ the club’s woes following a second half collapse against Arsenal.
West Ham looked set to end their barren record at home this season as they were 1-0 up with 60 minutes gone on Monday night.
But three quick goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang took the game away from Pellegrini’s side and boos rang out from sections of the crowd at the end, as pressure builds on his position as manager.
West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini was left unimpressed by questions about his job security
He cut short the interview having insisted that he is the right man to ‘fix’ the club’s problems
Pellegrini, when speaking to Sky Sports after the match, tried to reinstall belief that the club can turn it around.
‘We dominated for 60 minutes,’ he said. ‘Maybe scoring the second goal would have been so important.
‘It (booing at the end) was understandable because the last five games that we play here, we didn’t win. If you don’t win at home, your fans are not going to be happy.
Nicolas Pepe (left) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang starred as Arsenal rallied for a 3-1 victory
‘You cannot concede three goals in every game. Unfortunately for us, we are doing wrong things, but we need to continue fighting.’
The reporter than proceeded to ask Pellegrini if he believes he is the man who can revive this struggling squad, he was adamant he is, before cutting the interview short.
‘I always think I can fix,’ he added. ‘(My future) does not depend on me. I don’t think nothing because it doesn’t depend on me.’
Monday’s defeat means West Ham have now lost three in a row at home in the league for the first time since August 2015.
For Arsenal, victory marked the end of nine games in all competitions without a win.
Pellegrini has overseen three West Ham defeats in a row at home for the first time since 2015
