Hammers speak on “caretaker boss” story

No chance of Terry Westley or anyone else becoming caretaker boss.

Reports that West Ham are considering a short term replacement for Slaven Bilic until the end of the season have been entirely rubbished this morning.

The Telegraph ran a story on the line that should the team lose to Swansea City on Saturday, in what would be his sixth straight defeat in the Premier League, a contingency plan is in place to appoint a caretaker boss.

The report declares: “The club’s co-owner David Sullivan and Karren Brady, the chief executive, have shown faith in Bilic so far but results are reaching the stage where the club feel that they would have no choice but to try to jump-start the club’s season by clearing out the manager and his staff.

They are limited in their scope to appoint a new face with so few games left but defeat at home by Swansea would force their hand.”

That David Gold – as co club chairman isn’t mentioned – devalues the story anyway but when we contacted our senior source this morning we were told categorically: “There is not one iota of truth in the story.”

Even were the Hammers to have considered it, this would have taken no more than two minutes thinking time because apart from Terry Westley there is absolutely nobody who can step into the role.

And the Development team coach has only very limited limited experience in the League having stepped in on a temporary basis at Luton Town in the 90s and at Derby County following the departure of Phil Brown.

CandH has been told regularly that Slaven Bilic is with us until the end of the season and the vote of confidence given by the board was entirely honest in that respect.