West Ham United have made their backroom staff reshuffle official. Chris Pipe, a coach who once honed goalkeepers at Arsenal’s academy, has been promoted to assistant manager of the women’s team. He’ll be joined by Adam Pengelly, who arrives fresh from a stint with the Scotland national team.
The dual appointment was confirmed on West Ham’s official website ahead of the 2026-27 Women’s Super League campaign. Both men will work under head coach Rita Guarino as the Hammers look to build on a difficult spell in the top flight.
So what does this mean for Arsenal fans watching from afar? And why should anyone care about a coaching shake-up at a WSL rival?
Pipe’s Arsenal roots and his winding coaching path
Chris Pipe isn’t a household name among Gunners supporters. But his CV carries a clear north London thread. According to his West Ham profile, Pipe worked as an academy goalkeeper coach at several clubs, including Millwall, Watford, and Arsenal.
He’s a UEFA A Licence holder who started coaching as a teenager with Euro Dagenham FC back in 2005. From there, he moved through development roles at Tottenham Hotspur and Dagenham & Redbridge before landing at Arsenal’s academy setup.
His LinkedIn profile sheds further light. In a post from 2025, Pipe referred to his time coaching goalkeepers at Arsenal Academy as a significant chapter in his career. He also represented Great Britain in over-45s basketball, crediting the sport with sharpening skills he brought to goalkeeping coaching — perception, decision-making, spatial awareness.
After Arsenal, he moved to Tottenham’s women’s team in 2021 as goalkeeping coach under Rehanne Skinner. When Skinner took the West Ham job in 2023, Pipe followed. He’s spent three seasons overseeing goalkeepers and set pieces at the club.
Now he steps up to assistant manager. It’s a well-earned promotion for a coach who’s built his reputation quietly across London’s football landscape.
What Pengelly and Guarino bring to the mix
Adam Pengelly adds international pedigree to the setup. He joins after spending the past year working with the Scotland national team. That kind of experience — managing different player personalities in high-pressure tournament environments — could prove valuable in a WSL squad that’s been through managerial upheaval.
Both men will report to Rita Guarino, the Italian coach who took charge in December 2025. Guarino replaced Rehanne Skinner after West Ham managed just one win from their opening 11 league matches that season. She arrived with serious credentials, having led Juventus Women to four consecutive Serie A titles and a trophy haul that included two Supercoppa trophies and a Coppa Italia.
West Ham finished 10th in the 2025-26 WSL. It wasn’t pretty. But they survived, and Guarino now has a full pre-season to shape things her way.
Adding Pipe and Pengelly gives her two assistants who know the English women’s football scene from different angles:
- Pipe understands the WSL from a club perspective, with years of grassroots and academy coaching behind him
- Pengelly brings a wider tactical lens from international football
- Together, they offer Guarino a bridge between her Italian methods and the nuances of English women’s football
Why this matters beyond West Ham
Coaching staff moves don’t grab headlines the way player transfers do. But they matter — sometimes more. The WSL is expanding to 14 teams in 2026-27, which means competition is fiercer and margins are thinner.
Clubs that invest in their coaching infrastructure tend to perform better over time. West Ham are clearly trying to do that. Promoting from within — as they’ve done with Pipe — rewards loyalty and preserves institutional knowledge. Bringing in Pengelly from outside injects fresh thinking.
For Arsenal fans, Pipe’s departure from the Gunners’ coaching ecosystem happened years ago. He’s not someone they’ll miss day-to-day. But it’s another reminder that Arsenal’s academy doesn’t just produce players. It develops coaches who go on to shape other clubs across the pyramid.
Whether this reshaped backroom team can push West Ham Women up the table remains to be seen. Pre-season will tell us a lot. For now, Guarino has her assistants in place. The real work starts here.
