New attack on board over Slaven treatment

Former Hammers players are coming out in force to support Slaven Bilic after a series of veiled threats from the board.

After Tony Gale’s attack on them earlier, David Gold, Davis Sullivan and Karren Brady are again being pummelled by another Irons former defender – Danny Gabbidon.

And that comes on top of Tony Cottee’s demand in ClaretandHugh that the manager is given a new contract NOW after his handling of the numerous issues this season.

Gale had told them to “keep quiet” and simply support the boss and now  the Welshman has declared: “”I don’t think it is an ideal situation for Slaven Bilic and it not is an ideal situation for the players either.

“I still speak to one or two of the lads there and they love the manager. They never have a bad word to say about him and it is not the ideal situation for them whether the manager is going to be sticking around or not.

Talking to talkSPORT he added: “There is a right way to go about it. If it was me, I would be saying, ‘look, we have had a difficult season, it is not all your fault as a manager, we have got things wrong as well’.

“I know the player recruitment is not all down to Slaven Bilic – the board are involved with that as well – and they should back him after what he did in his first season.

“He had the team performing so well in that first season that he deserves a little bit of backing.”

Gabbidon, who made 112 appearances for West Ham in a six-year spell at Upton Park, added: “When he came into the club, they performed really well. That was probably his biggest downfall because expectations have been really high.

“Off the back of that, they have moved to a new stadium and there has been teething issues there, the player recruitment going into this season has been really poor, and he has had to deal with players off the pitch. It has been a difficult season.”