West Ham this morning are reported to already be eyeing up possible Slaven Bilic replacements with only two games of the season gone.
The story has emerged in The Mirror which claims the usual candidate as a possible next manager, Rafa Benitez, as the next one.
Two defeats – at Mancheter United who repeated the 4-0 drubbing atSwansea at the weekend, and a defeat by Southampton in pretty desperate circumstances, may or may not be sufficint to base the story upon.
But the reality is that Bilic’s position seems to be under constant examination with the near constant late reversals and large number of goals shipped.
Bilic isn’t seen as a manager with a long managerial shelf life by the bookies either with Skybet naming him as third favourite to be the first to leave the PL at a price of 7/2 – behind Frank de Boer and Benitez.
The Mirror even adds that the Davids are already drawing up contingency plans.
The Hammers meet Cheltenham in the League Cup clash tomorrow night and it hardly needs saying that defeat would bring unbearable pressure on the manager’s shoulders.
All good chairmen have contingency plans, and for us it’s obvious. They just spent their money on some major players with more to come, which is meant to fix last years problems. Naturally they want to see a return on the pitch. I’ve supported Billic but lets face it, if he doesn’t get it right by November they are going to be wondering wether they need someone else. With a better squad than last year, they are more likely to attract a better manager than they could last year.
I still think we will start getting results sooner rather than later, ‘ but be prepared ‘ is the name of the game.
I agree with this. Love Bilic. Just look at him during that last game at Upton Park. He cares. He gets the fans. But this is a hard business. By the end of October we need to be looking like a capable side. I am not judging us on two games but also on last season. But most fans are desperate for him to succeed.
Agee smart to have a contigency plan. And yes it is early but last season he was lucky to stay in his job when u look at Peul finished 8th sacked. Raneiri Sacked after winning title. Etc.
But they gave him another chance and we want him to succeed but do we want to wait til December. And the next 2 games we should win Newcastle and Huddersfield so those will be telling.
But D&S have said this isn’t Ture
sources http://spont.ly/1Rhfx7A
But they had a list last season and they should.
My opinion is that we are so weak at the back and I can’t work out why? We don’t have a bad team on paper we just seem to lack fitness and shape and that’s down to the coaching staff. Every team seems to rip us open, saying that I am a fan of Bilic but the goals we leak is a joke! We ship 3 or 4 regularly, I still don’t know Dicks role at the club? Surely Bilic and Dicks two ex defenders should be teaching the team something? However listening to Talksport this morning Moose made a good point, forget about United looking at Saturday 2 of the goals were penalties against two experienced defenders. He claims it’s ridiculous to be thinking of sacking him after 2 games which is understandable but when you look at the bigger picture 5 wins in 23 it’s not great. It would be interesting to see how many goals conceded in them 23 games.
You would think Slav Defender himself think our defense is fine and Rio offered to be Defensive Coach last season and he turned him down. Think Rio would help a lot couldn’t do worse!
And Slav says we don’t need defensive reinforcements
http://www.90min.com/posts/5427643-slaven-bilic-rules-out-any-new-defensive-reinforcements-despite-early-season-struggles?old_domain=ftbpro.com/90min.com/&utm_source=app&utm_medium=share
Yep its back everybody , 2 g
Just read the article and was going to refer to contingency plans, but you beat me to it.
Match 1 – we were walloped by a better side (ask Swansea)
Match 2 – no manager can legislate for a player’s crass stupidity.
With 11 on the pitch for the whole game we would not have lost.
So to highlight any manager’s vulnerability is a waste of words this early in the season, but it’s what the papers do.
The defence is a defo issue but i dont subscribe to the grass is always greener theory.Most fans i know aint up in arms about Bilic.Its mainly the vocal minority,but they will whinge about anything and everything in thruth.
Start again , paper talk , probably a spud or manc sports writer fishy ?
2 games in , can’t field our strongest side , this was expected but probably a game later than we expected lol.
Its a results game , unless he starts getting results and stops picking players that are not performing then he’s open season , I’m with you that points are on their way soon when all fit
But we need depth in the squad which we don’t have , as seen ☺
Let’s see what team we end up with come the end of the window. We fans can see we need a holding midfielder, cue Carvalho; we also know the CB position is a weak area too, cue Sakho but wait a minute Bilic thinks we are good there and that is what worries me, 5 wins in 23 would have seen the back of most managers but Bilic has been given some more time, however if he thinks we are ok in the middle of defence I am not convinced he will last the season. There are no hiding places for him this year, the spine needs to be strong and sort that and we will be a top 8 side, continue as is and we will be looking for another manager this season.
Lazurus i have been trying to work out what 2 g is.Now i know it was a technical issue 😃
This tablet is alive jezza, it posts itself 😂
Its simple these days isnt it.The Premier League is a results business more than ever before and no manager is safe.Lyall and Greenwood wouldn’t have lasted five minutes in this day and age and it isnt something i particularly like about football these days.
The want it all and want it now mentality from board to fans is all pretty superficial and stinks as far as im concerned.
The chairmen will no doubt be making contingency plans, hopefully one of them is to pay what it takes to get Carvalho in, we desperately need him, I can’t see anything happening until closer to the winter window but you never know, offensively we look pretty good and in reality which managers are available that are up to the job ?
Despite the fact that Slaven is my countryman,must say that there is no visible progress on the field,too predictable,there is a patern in Slaven’s work trough his menagerial history:start was always bright,after that is downhill path..I still like him,but…
Carvalho, if he comes will seal up the MF and make the defence look better. Also Lanzini comes back soon, and that means Antonio and Lanzini will give the opposition more to think about. We are going to take off.
it isnt judged over 2 games from this year, its all of last season, a bif of the previous and this.
our defensive organisation (both how the midfield engage the opposition and the defensive line itself) is abysmal. the number of goals conceded, 2 per game on average roughly, is simply not sustainable.
that slaven hasn’t considered this and thought (even a small) change in setup or personnel on the coaching staff isn’t necessary is extremely worrying. every decent unit needs a refresher every once in a while to inject some new life and ideas. otherwise things go stale.
arsenal (3-0) in april closed the coffin for me. we were atrocious in terms of how we approached the game, despite them only having beaten 2 non league teams since feb. 5 days later mr anti football rocks up and knew how to beat them, and soundly did, by the same score. he’s a poor tactician and yet he worked out what to do on the day. i don’t think ours has that knack. sadly, as i like him a lot and really want him to succeed. even if it’s by pure luck, but it seems that luck ran out a while ago.
Come on lads, we’re only two games in!!! I’m no Bilic fan, and some of his decision making is suspect, but give him a chance ! However, if he does eventually go, please not Benitez; hardly setting the world a light at Newcastle, and will only shift-in a raft of dubious foreign players (at least Bilic’s seen some sense, and started brining a few of our talented u23’s into the squad).
What’s the point – if they make a change the new guy would still have to work with the present Squad with the Transfer Window closing in a couple of days – talk about closing the stable door after the horse’s bolted…
Bilic is already in the last chance saloon – if he loses against Newcastle the Dave’s could panic and the Season could really implode!
Agree Michael but a new manager wouldn’t keep playing the likes of Noble, Fonte etc and expect different results like Bilic is doing.What Bilic is dishing up each week is madness in my opinion.
We looked defensively more solid towards the end of last season and I’m sure a lot of that was down to the change in formation with the 3-4-2-1 formation that seems to be very popular with many teams at the moment. I was surprised during the pre-season to see Bilic go back to a 4-2-3-1 formation that worked well in his first season but was a disaster in the first half of last season. It’s possible Bilic realises he has made a mistake and now has to swallow his pride and throw all of the pre-season preparation out of the window and start again. Despite all of that I’d sack Bilic in a heartbeat. I’ve never been a fan. He has many weaknesses but for me, the biggest is the total lack of discipline in the team. On Saturday both pens were correct decisions as was the red and Noble was very lucky not to get sent off. Poor discipline is not just about the fouls and red cards though, it’s a team holding its shape and seeing out wins. As much as I disliked Allardyce at least he was good at this. How many decisive last-minute goals have we conceded under Bilic? We must be top of the table for that over the past 2 and a bit years. The 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in 2016 was a perfect example of this. Yes, the referee made a terrible decision but our defensive shape was all over the place in the last minutes before that goal, it’s poor discipline, as simple as that, and I could point to many similar examples. I’m also a bit tired of all the excuses made by Bilic, the owners and some fans. Only losers constantly make excuses and what annoys me is when you have an excuse you’re less likely to properly examine the situation and look at what needs changing. I find it hilarious when people talk about the great spirit shown with 10 men and 2-0 down. Where was that spirit in the opening 30-minutes or so? Where was that spirit in the final minutes? Only one thing matters, we lost. Some fans seem to love twisting things. Yes Manchester United also beat Swansea 4-0. Is that who we want to measure ourselves next to? Swansea city? Smh
Fair post master ! But injuries and new players on board, its a new season , the midfield has been a huge problem , no pressing , no pace in one player 😁 and defence put under to much pressure which is also lacking in pace and awareness , Its a problem ! Not been addressed ,
Carvalho will be a welcome addition ? But not a cure all, bilic and staff need to buck up and sully needs to get the cheque book out and pay the going rates and when we are established then negotiate hard !! We need class to come on board defensively !! Offensively were good, but, even us armchair managers can see the problem , makes you wonder what goes on with bilic and his team 😊
Our defence is still poor despite the signings. Fonte didn’t know who was running behind him, Zab was the wrong side of their striker for the penalty. Slav’s done really well on the attacking front since he came in but I can see him and Nobes out by Christmas if we keep shipping goals.
In the modern era any manager losing two games at the start of a season and shipping 7 goals is always going to come under pressure. No surprises there.
However, what’s being conveniently overlooked is the crazy business decision that’s led us to play our first 3 games of the Prem season away from home. That adds unnecessary headaches and pressure at the very time you really want a good positive start.
It was bad enough last season with a stadium that didn’t feel like home for long periods. Now this idiotic decision.
I commented three weeks ago that if we lost our first two games, the negative doom n gloom merchants would start bellyaching!! FFS….Give Bilic the chance to work with the new players for at least half a season before you jump on his back. There are still a fair number of players yet to return to (match) fitness before he can work with his full squad. This squad will prove to best the best we’ve had in the Prem but you can’t judge them after two games.
Agree , let’s hope the game v huddersfield is a huge improvement to last year at home ? Can’t see it defensively ? Big pitch , big problem , pace in the back four is a big concern and bilic is happy with it evidently ? We need to score more than concede ? Reid is out as well , noble is lost in a desert at the Queenie ? He can’t be picked as first choice.
If we have no points after 3 games it becomes nervous and panic may set in , the good thing is spuds , arse , Chelsea , only 3 points in front at present so a big game at the bar codes is a must 😉
Having said that no one available Tuchel is I think, he has a win percentage over 60 % and a massive goal surplus, the way he plays the game would certainly appeal if Slav does get the tin tac.
Newcastle and Huddersfield we should win. Tho k am worried about Huddersfield they are flying and Wagner can make 10 players gel like I’ve never seen done it Twice now in diff leagues. And shrewd signings. Zanka great CB signing £3m.
How Slav rules out any defensive reinforcements boggles me. Begging for Tompkins back give place Fonte to get him back please!
But need to win the next 2 games. At least get 4 points. If we don’t or get none it will be bad with players out or not. Time for back 3 like we have… Slav has said that is Plan B so time for Plan B. Think Zab is the main reason we are not playing back 3 bc win at Spurs and 7 with only 1 loss best all last season.
Don’t think Tuchel will come here he turned down some big jobs but I DK.
Bc with Clubs like Watford looking strong Huddersfield Stoke and more if we wait till December to switch thing up might regret it. Tho we were supposed to have changes in backroom and that only happened w Physio and U16s. Think we should be asking Rio if his offer to Coach defense is still avaialabe and a bloody sporting Director even Palace got one!
Play Adrian send Hart back and use wages on CB 🙂 And Fonte for Tompkins back sounds fair