West Ham Vice-Chairman Karren Brady has broken her silence on the sacking of Slaven Bilic. Writing in her Sun football diary she says:
“WHEN we told Slaven Bilic we didn’t want him to stay as manager of West Ham, it was clear he was not going to argue with the decision.
No one likes to sack anyone. It’s not easy, especially when you genuinely like them, and I take no pleasure from it — but sometimes there is just no alternative. Everyone on the board enjoyed a good relationship with Slaven and supported him at every opportunity.
We spent £100million on players since he joined — and no club outside the top six has spent more.
Every pre-season requirement, every winter training break, every backroom member of staff, the complete refit of the training ground… whatever he wanted, we tried to deliver. He, in turn, was an honest man with integrity and intelligence and was furiously loyal to West Ham. So sacking this thoroughly decent man was one of the hardest things our board felt it had to do in 25 years in football.
I think a huge majority of our supporters agreed with our decision. They, like us, remain as respectful of the 47-year-old Croatian as it is possible to be of a manager whose diminishing success in leading a good squad of players has placed the club in the relegation zone with the season almost a third through. Expectations at the London Stadium are far higher than that. We spent £45m in the summer buying experience in defence and goal threat in attack. Neither manifested itself.
Rather, goals have poured into our own net to the extent that we have the worst record in the league — and we haven’t scored many, either.
It is pure excuse-making for anyone to blame the move to the London Stadium for our failings. The Hammers roar is as alive as ever and the fervour with which our fans blew bubbles after we scored against Liverpool on Sunday was heart-warming.”
Bull💩!! Funny smell on here this morning 😎
We all liked and still like Bilic the man, that was never the question. The boards job is to find the best man capable of getting the best out of our group of players and to move West Ham on as a team. Bilic should of been sacked a year ago and what is most worrying is the boards lack of action that has caused the current situation. I believe we have a great squad and some fantastic youth knocking on the first teams door. Moyes will do a job this season, let’s see if he is capable of moving us on to compete with the top 7, Tottenham have proved it’s not all about money but having a great manager.
£100 million is nothing in the amount of transfer windows Billic had to bring us on to the next “lying” next level. Stop trying to insult the intelligence of West Ham fans as we know the board mainly think West Ham fans are stupid or naive. We notice you never mentioned players when describing you tried to give him what he wanted. How hard did you try and give him Carvalho? Just like the board felt it was time for Billic to go due to a lack of success, many many fans want you and the board to go through lack of success you 3 have provided since 2010.
I am glad we give our managers more time than we should on a strictly business consideration. Loyally sticking with someone past when it makes sense? Now that is the West Ham Way.
It’s disappointing though when the board talk about gross spend on players. In the absence of players coming through from the youth team net spend is the only measure.
No one buys it. You only make yourself look like an ineffective spin doctor when you say it.
Not sure about her choice of words and I notice she doesn’t mention her chairman made a mistake in not letting him go in the summer which is the main reason we are in the relegation zone.
100 million spent in 3 seasons,but at least 70 million in players sold in that time and that doesn’t include the zaza money,i cant stand anyone connected with our board tbey take us for mugs
I think its time she quit the sun and along with the 2 divs stopped talking publicly about West Ham. She’s only making matters worse. I only want to hear comments from the manager from now on. The quicker they leave OUR club the better.
What a load of bull !!!! 100m no I don’t think so ..does she think we are stupid what about all the money we got of of selling players and the mysterious 20mill that went missing when we didn’t buy za za……she is full of **** …