West Ham United legend Tony Cottee has backed new manager Manuel Pellegrini to bring strong leadership to the Club, while also hailing the signing of right-back Ryan Fredericks.
Pellegrini has agreed a three-year deal with the Hammers and made his first signing last week, bringing in defender Fredericks from Fulham, with the 25-year-old Londoner set to join the Irons on July 1.
Cottee, who sits fifth in the all-time list of West Ham goalscorers with 146 finishes, is eager to see what Pellegrini can bring to London Stadium, in particular how the experienced Chilean will operate in the transfer market this summer.
We need nice, strong leadership now and someone that can really get hold of things and take the club forward. Pellegrini can do that.
Tony Cottee
The legendary striker is already impressed with his former team's actions in the window, having brought in Fredericks.
"It’s a big job and Pellegrini needs to hit the ground running," Cottee told whufc.com. "Pellegrini has done very well in the past, but it’s different managing a team like Manchester City to West Ham, which is a great club but is a bit more restricted in terms of budget. He will have to be creative.
"It’s a difficult task because it’s been a difficult few years for the club, and we need someone to come in and take the bull by the horns. We need nice, strong leadership now and someone that can really get hold of things and take the club forward. Pellegrini can do that.
"Ryan Fredericks has come in and I’ve seen a lot of him. He’s a really good player – a good, young kid. He’s good going forward and he’s got a good engine. He’s a really good signing for the club. We need some other, really good players to come in now."
A top forward for the Hammers, Cottee appreciates the talent available to his old team in the attacking line, with the 52-year-old calling on Hammer of the Year Marko Arnautovic, Mexican international Chicharito and English duo Andy Carroll and Michail Antonio to play a key role under Pellegrini.
Cottee added: "Hopefully Michail Antonio will be fit. He’s a big player for us. Marko Arnautovic obviously was our star player last year and we will need him at his best again. We’ve got to keep our best players. We need Andy Carroll fit and we need Chicharito in form, banging the goals in.
"It's a real shame about Manuel Lanzini. I'm really gutted he's injured because he's one of our best players. Going forward, we've got some great talent, and those key players I've mentioned need to step up for the new manager."