Wanted Man is free
MANUEL PELLEGRINI moved a step closer to the West Ham hotseat after leaving Chinese Super League club Hebei China Fortune last night.
Chilean Pellegrini, 64, left after the team’s final game before a two-month World Cup break – a 2-1 win over Chongqing Lifan.
On social media, the club said:“After amicable discussions we have reached a mutual agreement.
“We sincerely thank Mr Pellegrini for his contribution to the club and we wish him all the best for the future.”
The well-travelled coach tried his hand in China after leaving Manchester City in 2016. He took Hebei to fourth place in the table in 2017, narrowly missing out on leading them into the Asian Champions League.
Pellegrini has been linked with West Ham since David Moyes left the London club last week.
DAVID GINOLA believes time could be up at Old Traffford for Manchester United’s Anthony Mar tial after he was controversially left out of France’s World Cup squad.
Martial, 22, missed out when Didier Deschamps named his 23-man squad for Russia on Thursday, being placed on the stand-by list despite starting France’s last friendly game in March.
His omission comes after he was marginalised at United following the arrival of Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in January and speculation linking him with a summer move to Chelsea.
“The main reason Anthony Martial is not in the squad is that you need to be a regular in your club before becoming a regular in your national team,” former France international Ginola, 51, said. “Deschamps has so many options and choices – strikers like Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezemann who have been consistently good for France – that it’s not as if he has to be in there if he’s not playing.
“Players like Martial need to play and score goals for the confidence, they need to be a regular.
“If he is not a regular at Manchester
United then he will probably search for another club and find one if he wants to.
“But I think Manchester United is a great club for him and it’s up to him to give more in training and in games.
“If Jose Mourinho doesn’t play him more regularly he probably thinks it’s because he doesn’t give his best all the time.
“I don’t see a manager like Mourinho not playing a player who can make him win games. It doesn’t work like that.”
France’s huge strength in depth was reflected by Martial being joined on the stand-by list by Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot and Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman.
The Premier League trio of Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham), Kurt Zouma (Chelsea) and Mamadou
Sakho (Crystal Palace) also missed out on selection.
But Deschamps has selected Marseille striker Florian Thauvin – who has blossomed after struggling to get a game for Newcastle a couple of seasons ago – and highly rated Nabil Fekir of Lyon, who has been linked to United.
“I think it is a nightmare for Deschamps to put 23 players on the list,” said Ginola, speaking at a Football Association of Wales coaches conference in Newport. “Rabiot is the one who is unlucky for me – he is in a massive squad at Paris and played all through the season. “I’m quite amazed he did not make the 23 because this is a player who can give you the maturity of all those big games he has played.
“He is the only one I could see left out who could fit into the squad.” France start their World Cup campaign against Australia in Kazan on June 16. Their group also includes Denmark and Peru and Ginola, now a pundit on French television, feels Les Bleus are genuine contenders. “When you look around you don’t see a side like that Spain one that was holding all the trophies,” Ginola (left) said.
“Of course, teams like Brazil and Germany are always there but we’ve played against them and we have proved we can face anyone. “We have the talent to beat anyone and, although it’s a young team, it’s one that has so much experience in terms of games.
“The list of players is amazing, now Deschamps has to get the best out of them in the way he wants to play.”