16 Comments

Bilic/Sullivan tensions hardly a big surprise

bilic-gloomThe only surprising aspect of the apparent current tension between David Sullivan and Slaven Bilic is that anybody is in the least bit surprised.

For if you re-visit the build-up to the manager’s appointment you find that he was behind the likes of David Moyes, Rafa Benitez, Jurgen Klopp and Carlo Ancelotti.

Even Steve McClaren was in front of him at one time and finally he had to fight off Β the – shall we say – wacky Marcelo Bielsa at the death and probably won probably because his English was better.

Truth is he was never the most confident of appointments as far as the board were concerned!

david-sullivan_1822192c (1)Supporter polls at the time showed Slav as an overwhelming favourite and a few of us – myself included – patted ourselves on the back at the end of a tremendous first season believing our criticism of Sam Allardyce had been more than justified.

Sullivan however remained dour and seemingly sceptical declaring, when asked if a new contract was on the agenda, that he would hold fire to ensure Slav was not a one season wonder.

A season and a bit on the same uncertainty and newly generated tensions have resurfaced in circumstances generated by early results, unwise Sullivan pronouncements on the official website, a Sporting Lisbon loudmouth president and reminders that the co chairman once sold dildos and the like.

Well unless you are a fully paid up member of the “sex is disgusting” lobby I can’t see how that affects anything much to be honest. What does is the co chairman’s unsubtle remarks on the website.

Slav has himself been unsubtle in declaring publicly Β that the description of the co chairmen as the “Dildo” brothers” made him laugh, probably knowing that would add to the tension ahead of Huddersfield.

But what this all comes down to in the end is the board’s inability to get any of their leading candidates in the first place and the continuing uncertainty about Bilic along with the manager’s inability to follow up on his first season in any sort of way.

Six of one and half a dozen of the other if you ask me but – as has been mentioned many times before – nothing that won’t be put right by six or seven points over the next three or four games …hopefully more.

To talk of tension and a breakdown in the relationship between chairman and manager as though it’s something new seems a tad naive given the “one season wonder” half accusation at the end of the first season.

I want Slaven Bilic to truly make a statement this season because he is a hugely likeable fella and that’s what complicates much of our thinking.

It’s billed as “‘good guy Slav v bad boy Sullivan” in many minds. If only life was that simple. In the end all that matters is results. End of.

COYI

 

About Hugh5outhon1895

Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!" Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

16 comments on “Bilic/Sullivan tensions hardly a big surprise

  1. Oh no dont mention dildos lads youre comment will get deleted.Ffs no humour allowed,the serious heads are in town with their tippex πŸ˜‚

    • Dildos πŸ˜‚ its Sunday, must be the lords day rads ! But it ain’t really its Saturday, everyone who,s a churchgoer has been lied to for yonks lol , boring bit of info there but what else is there to talk about that hasn’t already been flogged to death !! Roll on tomorrow for a game of football to watch ? What hysterics follow well wait and see πŸ˜‚
      COYI,S

    • And what’s your issue all of a sudden – I think you will find I used the word dildo twice

      • Issue ? What issue ?? I took it rads got tippexed ?? Issue ?? Ain’t got a clue what you’re on about !

      • What the hell does a comment with no swearing in it just a bit of a laugh about Sullivan selling dildos out of suitcase around pubs when he first started up need to be deleted for.
        I never effed or blinded but it gets deleted.Humour police you have hired are out of control πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

        • I Got a pony in me pocket !
          I’ll get the suitcase from the van .
          Dildo can’t be the problem can it ? Maybe the alter grape produce or the tippex made in north korea bought out of a suitcase from the local watering hole πŸ·πŸ’…πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

        • Because it’s totally irrelevant to football

          • If all you want on here is bland football comments its going to make for a boring site.The only reason i read this one is because the fellas dont take eveything too seriously and can see the funny side of even the worst times for the club.
            So someone made a comment about dildos and suitcases…big deal..we are all grown ups.

          • Ok then it will be a bland and boring site. I think I said much the same about the dildo thing as you are saying here ( being grown up) . It is boring in itself.

  2. Hugh, What exactly was the build up to Slaven’s appointment? What is your source of information? If it came from the totally unreliable media, then I’ve long since stopped reading or listening to it as far too many of the headlines and stories are fabricated to generate interest in their product,. If your info came from a club source…..then who was it that told you that West Ham were interested in all those names before they even approached Slaven? We were led to believe in June 2015 that Rafa Benitez was ‘hours from signing’ a contract but chose not to sign for whatever reason. Jurgen Klopp was supposed to be in need of a break when West Ham allegedly approached him.

    Editors of fans’ forums like this have a huge responsiblity to report accurate information, but often the articles that are published only ever stir up emotional vitriole.

  3. So if/when Slav gets the exit door slammed on his arse, will we see any ‘told you so’ headlines from DS?

  4. Spot on post mate wasnt their choice more the fans choice. So glad fat boy rafa didnt come and as for the deluded german who was fired last time and thinks he can win the premier then pep just answered that one. Hope slav puts the boot into the board and pushes us up that table especially since they are undermining him with transfers and leaving him with a small squad. Coyi

    • Razor – I don’t think klopp has ever been fired if you mean him. I’m confused by that comment. I agree with you on Slav though and hope he can deliver the goods

    • He had a big squad last season and still has enough for more than two teams now. Five league wins in 2017 is appalling

  5. Regretably will will always struggle to get a better manager to want to work with sully and if we do it will only be short term before he starts interfering.

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