On Monday night, Manuel Pellegrini got one game closer to the sack when he oversaw a 3-1 home loss to Arsenal, despite going in at the break 1-0 up and dominating for large spells of the game against the Gunners, who themselves have been massively struggling this season.
The Irons will be keeping a very close eye on what happens to Pellegrini over the next few days, although the general consensus is that he’s going to be in charge for at least the Southampton game on the weekend, and should he fail to get a result there then his time in Stratford could be up.
However, if the Hammers were trying to find the one positive from the defeat at Arsenal, and we’re not all that convinced that many, if any, of them are, then we’ve found it. The defeat was demoralising and will not have done anything for the mood amongst the fans, but seeing Nathan Holland get more minutes will have pleased them.
The young winger has proven to be an incredible player for the Irons in their U23 squad this season, and after weeks of calling for him to play his part with the first team, the former Everton academy man has now been involved in the club’s last two Premier League games against Wolves and Arsenal.
Whilst Holland has managed just over half an hour when combining his minutes from his first two Premier League games this season, seeing him on the pitch can only be a good thing, and given his record for the U23s with nine goals and six assists in eleven games (Transfermarkt), it’s no shock to see that the fans have been desperate for him to be involved.
Do you like seeing Holland in and around the first team?
Yes
No
The Hammers will be wildly calling for Pellegrini’s head over the next few days, and if they lose to Southampton the calls will likely be unrelenting, but at least if the Chilean does go he’s been spending his last few games integrating young Nathan Holland.
