West Ham Chairman David Sullivan says he should have sacked Slaven Bilic earlier and that his own family gave him a hard time over his lack of indecision.
Sullivan told the Guardian “I should have got rid of him in the summer, but beating Tottenham in the last home game and beating Burnley was just enough. My family gave me such grief for not doing it. I thought he’d sorted things out.”
On transfers, he told Jacob Steinburg “Well, I’m not really the director of football, I never go to the training ground. The manager had a policy of wanting older, proven Premier League players. That gives you an old squad and players who you’ve seen the best of.”
Sullivan confirmed he takes an active role in identifying transfers but he claims he mostly signed Bilic’s targets. “I’m very involved with physically bringing in the players, I’m not involved in the strategy. The manager said he wanted Fonte from Southampton and Snodgrass from Hull. My kids begged me not to sign them.”
But it would have been difficult for you to sack Bilic earlier Mr S would it not? Remember the Gary Neville interview? You said then it was a moral issue not to sack him before his three years.
And I may be wrong but I thought after last year’s disastrous signings it was you who came out & said there would now be a change to established PL players. Don’t remember you saying this was Bilic’s idea. But my memory is shaky.
Classy move to bracket Fonte -who is still part of the squad- with Snodgrass who has been rejected as not good enough.
Does sound like you need to listen to your family…
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but most could see that after that 1st Payet inspired season its been a gradual decline that will take a lot of work to put right.Time to dig deep Mr Sullivan and back the manager big style in January with Quality over quantity (when it all started to go wrong in that cursed Summer transfer window when we bought about 15 players to get us through the Europa league qualifiers).we have never recovered from that and i hope tomorrow we can follow up with the same grit as shown against Man City but we desperately need at least 3 quality players down the spine of the team in the transfer window.
Agree shouldn’t brought up Fonte who has actually been decent this season. But we should be going for younger players but right ones not just bc they are cheap.
But I thought last season by December January especially Bilic was not right for us anymore. And by and of season could see it. How bad defense had gotten even his first season but we scored more.
I like Bilic has a person but he froze out some players others played no matter what injured out position etc. And turns out training was even worse then we thought. Same at other clubs did get in first season w good players bc is friend like approach & upbeat personality.
But I believe had we replaced him in summer w Silva or many others I don’t think we would be in this situation.
Fell out with too many players lack training, at lost of ideas & tactics & wouldnt change up backroom for new ideas. I think he lost the dressing room or at least part of it.
I also don’t like we will sell 2-3 players our sqaud is already to thin so if sell 2-3 & bring in 2-3 what dies that do nothing. Sahko is out the door tho i would keep him if we could. Listening to offers for AC and Ayew. Ayew some don’t like but is our top scorer in all comps. Has a knack for goal & create space & tho best at #10 or 2nd striker can cover wings why sell him on Jan. Moyes played him at CF alone he is not a lone striker.
They just have to put money on this window back Moyes to certain extent his 6mo contracy will make him want to buy short term fixesor players he knows.
We have to get our recruitment right this Jan it is crucial to us staying up!
Perhaps the kids should have control of signings? They obviously have a better nous for it than the old man or former manager.
or one or two of us roman !😂 we saw it ! As did thousands of others , he’s just not fit to run our club ! End of !!! 😎
I’d love to see bubs take the reigns Laz. Noble and co would be joining Nolan and co.lol
😂 👍
Absolutely disgraceful behaviour from Sullivan. When will he learn to shut up? To talk about things within the club including current employees and ex ones is a travesty.