Slaven Bilic’s future appears to be very much on a two game line.
The national media – like ClaretandHugh last evening – has latched onto David Sullivan’s website statement that the upcoming games against Palace and Middlesbrough are critical to the manager’s future.
And CandH has learned today that there is no question that Palace must be beaten on Saturday and nothing less than one point at Midldlesbrough will be acceptable.
Bilic will be haunted by the figure of Sam Allardyce who leads Palace into the London Stadium which could see the former manager put the final nail in the Croatian’s coffin.
Despite the 10 points from four League game run, the defeat by Manchester City has shattered morale and belief inside the club even among the manager’s most ardent admirers.
We were told:”Palace have to be beaten. No ifs and buts. It has to happen. Defeat is not acceptable. It’s a very simple equation.
“It’s fair to say the game against Palace and that against Middlesbrough are critical but a huge amount is hanging on the next home match.”
They will have given a lot of thought to who might come in won’t they? Somebody tell me they will have done that..I am blowed if I have a clue.
I predicted a14th place finish, on the strength of how other teams have performed at a new ground.Its basically a season of away games. But I also thought we would make the group stages of the Europa.
Its worse than I thought, something isn’t right, it can’t help Slav with a chairman who keeps threatening every time we have a bad performance. But whatever the problem is,it needs sorting ASAP, they’re either behind him or not.
This transfer window must be spot on,and then all pull in the same direction,or relegation is not impossible. COYI
The “10 points in 4 league games run” really flatters to deceive. West Ham should have beaten Liverpool but for the manager’s inexplicable late substitutions. The wins against Burnley and Hull took winning ugly to an art form – we probably used up all our nine lives for the season just in those 2 games.
Bilic’s starting lineup against Man City without Payet was baffling – if indeed he took the FA Cup seriously. His late introduction of Payet was just stranger than paradise as the game was already lost.
As for the disastrous summer transfer dealings, it seems to me Bilic was the driving force being the purchase of Tore and Zaza…..
Before you ask, I don’t know whether there is a better manager for West Ham than Bilic right now but I really need him to demonstrate that he hasn’t completely lost it.
Its a strange one this.The team is so up and down this season and its hard to tell whether the players are to blame or the manager who can not motivate them for each game.Brilliant 10 man performance against United followed by such a lack lustre display in the cup match 5 days later.I like Bilic but he has not helped himself with some strange team selections and reluctance to use the younger squad members.Give him till the end of the transfer window and who knows.Looks like Hogan will be ours by next week and with a new RB and maybe Snodgrass.Feghouli,Zaza,Calleri and Nordveidt,Tore to go and anyone else who only wants to play when it suits them.COYI.
West Ham can start building a great squad worthy of the London Stadium if they avoid panic buys like Hogan from Brentford (especially) for more than £10 million, and Snodgrass from Hull City. Neither possess the quality we need to progress to being a regular top six club. Having said that, I still believe the team will finish in around 8th or 9th position…….or 7th, if they can maintain a good run, starting next weekend.
You seem to forget that both Cresswell and Antonio came from the championship and have progressed to the England team so why not take Hogan?.Snodgrass is proven in the top league.The panic buys and gambles are the foreign players we bought in the Summer to back the team up and push us forward in the Europa league which of course never happened.Stick to British players in this window.
The actual issue is who is available that is any better? I am not sure there is anyone who knows the premier league better so the only option is to take a real risk and go for someone abroad.
The decision on the managers future should have been made before Christmas if the board didn’t think things were up to scratch. Their grand plan is to now give him two games and if we don’t at least pick up 4 points he has gone ….. that is a terrible plan …. so the new manager doesn’t get the January transfer window. Who therefore makes the decisions as to whether we sign players or not.
I just hope we can get through this season without getting relegated. I would take a 14/15th finish right now. Right this season off, sell players who don’t want to be here and start again.
I appreciate what the owners have done for us, I appreciate what Slaven has done but I think much like when we got ride of Big Sam the club needs to move forward and progress. No one is bigger than the club and that includes the owners.
If we sold Payet in the summer and had some new investment I see no reason why a new manager coming in couldn’t be given 100 million to spend.
We had a brainstorming session this lunchtime and have come up with Gary Rowett as a replacement for the hapless Bilic – you heard it here first!
Roberto Mancini – A winner and will attract the right players.
It will stop these players coasting and shake up the players who don’t want to be there.
Done a good job at City and got them playing good football, at least they could defend.
As for the owners, either give Slav a new contract or out him now.
Totally undermining another manager, they might not sack people (they say), butu they undermine them so badly they might as well sack them.
We’ve played everyone in the top half of the table away from home, no other team has we need 5 wins for the rest of the season, a couple of draws, 40 points and move on.
I like Bilic but his inability or unwillingness to find us a decent right back has cost us dearly. Might also cost him his job.
I just don’t get why the club feels they have to take such and amature approach to the current predicament. If we lose sack him, if we do the lose then he keeps his job. Is this going to happen every game from now on? They cant make a decision on one game especially when the problem is that the playing staff simply are simply too chicken **** to stand up and be counted.
I remember please try of awful performances in the past but something that doesn’t seem to happen anymore is what Nigel Winterburn used to do. If no one was chasing I remember he was suddenly get out of position and start chasing down the opposing winder and midfield players. Stuart Pearce, Steve Lomas and Paolo Di Canio did the same as well when no one else was up for a game. These days there’s no one geeing anyone else up. Is it the way football has gone. I know Noble is a passionate lad but even his head has gone.
Sorry above should have read; If we lose sack him, if we DONT lose then he keeps his job.
What difference does it make.Get new owners,get a new manager.Six months down the line you will still have some fans moaning about them for some reason or another.
Curbishley,Roeder,Zola,Pardew,BFS,Grant now Bilic.Clearly some deserved it more than others but nothing will change with a new manager,some fans wont like something.Its guaranteed…