Premier League: West Ham United boss Manuel Pellegrini fears loss of job if his team loses to 18th placed Southampton

Under-pressure West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini says he may be out of a job if the London club does not beat fellow Premier League strugglers Southampton on Saturday.

West Ham are 16th on 16 points, a point above Southampton, who occupy 18th spot and are in the relegation zone.

West Ham have collected just five points from their last 10 games and Pellegrini is the odds-on favourite with bookmakers to be the next Premier League boss to leave, ahead of Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuettl.

“What I really need is to win the game but maybe I’m not in my job on Monday,” Chilean Pellegrini told a pre-match news conference. “Having just five points from this many games is not good enough.”

British media had reported that the 66-year-old was on the verge of being sacked after West Ham lost 3-1 at home to London rivals Arsenal on Monday.

“I said from the beginning that I came here to … try to play another way than West Ham played in all the other seasons and not for just fighting relegation,” he said.

“It is not my goal. And if I am not in that position, of course, I’m not happy.”