There's an intriguing piece in the Guardian claiming that West Ham's tactics at Chelsea were actually devised by second assistant coach Enzo Maresca, the former Juventus and Sevilla midfielder. The writer, Daniel Steinberg, normally gets his West Ham facts right – though has the story been leaked simply to discredit Manuel Pellegrini?
Maresca's gameplan was apparently to push Chelsea out wide, though it's also unclear why Pellegrini would have taken a step back from the tactics at Chelsea. There was certainly something different about the performance at Stamford Bridge and Pellegrini does seem absolutely rigid in his 4-2-3-1 formation.
Steinberg also reports that the players are impressed with Maresca and that some 'senior players' are starting to lose faith in Pellegrini. Southampton is now a game the manager can't afford to lose — and if he does go then Eddie Howe, who has performed a miracle at Bournemouth, would be my preferred option.
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