text: Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has the most difficult job in football, according to West Ham boss Sam Allardyce. City entertain the Hammers at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday with speculation over Pellegrini’s future mounting after a difficult season and a run of six defeats in their last eight games. But Allardyce believes the pressure of going for back-to-back Barclays Premier League titles, plus the introduction of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, have made the Chilean’s job the hardest in world football. Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has come under fire following their title race capitulation . West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce believes Pellegrini has the most difficult job in football . ‘The hardest thing to do in the game is win the title back-to-back,’ Allardyce said. ‘It’s hard enough winning it in the first place but going back-to-back has always been that bit more difficult. ‘On the basis of a lot of the conversations I’ve had with Sir Alex (Ferguson) over the years in terms of the motivation of the squad, the hardest part of the job is the season after, to try and do back-to-back victories in a very difficult league. ‘They’ve found it difficult to raise themselves to that level again consistently.’ UEFA imposed a £49million fine on City as well as restrictions on their squad and transfer spending after they failed to comply with the new FFP rules, and Allardyce says the potential sanctions put even more pressure on managers. The champions spent a combined £44m on Porto pair Eliaquim Mangala and Fernando last summer in a move that has been largely unsuccessful – talk that has brought more scrutiny on Pellegrini. ‘Everybody will look at what Financial Fair Play is going to bring to us in the next few years,’ Allardyce said. ‘That’s halting their spending power. ‘We all have to get a bit more shrewd with our spending and the players that we bring in and make fewer mistakes now than ever before because of that financial restriction. The £44m spent on Porto pair Eliaquim Mangala and Fernando last summer has been less than successful . Dejected Manchester City players look on as they are dealt yet another blow in their hunt for the league title . ‘You’ve got to move players out to create funds to help you bring players in and that has obviously made life and the job a little bit more difficult that it was before.’ Asked whether he City should stick with Pellegrini, Allardyce said: ‘Yeah, I do. If he’s proven himself last year, in his first year, then maybe the owners will stick with him and revamp the squad rather than changing him. That’s the way forward. ‘But my only concern is us trying to make life very difficult for them on Sunday and to continue trying to win.’ West Ham are without Diafra Sakho on Sunday with a thigh injury, but Allardyce said he could make it back before the end of the season after it was initially feared he would miss the rest of the campaign. West Ham United striker Diafra Sakho limped out of the draw against Stoke City last weekend .
target: Sam Allardyce believes Manuel Pellegrini has the toughest job in football .
  Chilean manager is under pressure following their title race capitulation .
  Pellegrini was tasked with winning back-to-back league titles at the Etihad .
  But, poor recent form has seen them tamely drop away from the pace .