Slaven Bilic’s reign as West Ham United’s boss this afternoon looked to be drawing to an inevitable close.
Reports that the manager is set to meet David Sullivan tomorrow (Mon) were overtaken by events at Rush Green this afternoon when the chairman and manager both arrived for what may have been crunch talks.
Sullivan – as ambassador – was at an open day for West Ham Ladies and we understand that he took the opportunity to order the manager to meet him at the event following yesterday’s horrible away defeat at Newcastle.
And it now seems it’s not so much a case of whether the axe will fall on the manager but when given Sullivan normally takes a short holiday during international breaks.
He and the rest of the board were appalled by what they saw at St James’ Park where, as just one example, full backs Pablo Zabaleta and Aaron Cresswell had clearly been told to hug the touchlines with the resulting huge spaces in behind them.
They were again shocked to see players performing out of position and there was huge sympathy for teenager Declan Rice who was subbed at half time after the mistake which led to the first goal.
Rene Weiler (Anderlecht) would be a good choice. Fran Escriba (Viiillareal) would also have been great. Young coaches, who can get a max out of their players. That is what we need. Plus some discipline, which I have the feeling is lacking completely now, despite the “showings” of personality Bilic has had towards several players.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head with expression ‘players played out of position’. How many players, and how often have we seen the likes of Antonio frustrated, ineffectual and set up to fail because they have been played out of position? How many players, good on paper, come to West Ham and underperform? Bilic is tactically inept and stubborn generally with a bad plan A and no plan B. We are lucky that these woeful performances have been away from home. If he serves the crowd a turd of a performance in September I think the atmosphere will be beyond toxic. Last year was bad enough. He has shown he’s learnt nothing. The Davids have invested; Bilic has had more than enough time. As a defender, he has overseen three games where we have conceded 10 goals. There is no reason to give him more time. Bilic should be gone during the international break. It does not matter if we have no replacement. How could a caretaker do worse?
As a Lewis Hamilton fan , Well done Lewis .
Should be HAMMER TIME for Bilic .
Time for a change. 5 wins in 25 games is as bad as it gets. Address it now b4 it is too late
Sorry. Regardless of his faults, which there are many, can’t sack him without paying a single home game. Has to be given Huddersfield with a full squad and rest of transfer window. No problem with him going after the next game though.
Be quite little Bradley….You aren’t worth an opinion. Judging by your comment below, you can sit quietly and mumble your worthless opinions to yourself
Err yeah you can when we have been a mess for the last 12 months.. Its obvious for all to see that he and his staff are not up to the job ..I don’t see how one more game would change that ..the quicker it happens the better ..nice man but poor poor manager..
Do not replace him with the Wally or Pearson though. McClaren has proved himself as a failure everywhere time & again. Mancini would suit us
We keep saying that if we want top 6 we must buy top 6 players, we want world calss we have to nuy world class. Surely thats the same for the manager too? Bilic aint world class. Weve flirted with Mancini for a few seasons now. Pay the man get a world class leader in who will attract world class players who will play a world class game.
I like the words world class today.
Inzaghe. Nothing like an Italian to sure up the defense
So many of us armchair pundits seem to be identifying the same key issues, focusing on the same shortcomings – last season, pre-season, and the first three games of this one – and yet Slaven either can’t or won’t see them. Rice is an excellent prospect, but he’s inexperienced as a holding, defensive midfielder at this level. Rather than patiently build a squad with strength in depth we get rid of Feghouli – having patiently awaited his transition to PL demands – and play Snodgrass out of position and give him to Villa, where he will so well.
Stewart Robson hit on something significant after the Man Utd defeat. There has to be something fundamentally wrong at the Hammers as a club, top to bottom; systemic. How can so many good players come to us and then underperform? What is it about the culture of non-professionalism at the club? What must Zabaleta, Hart and Chicha be thinking about the toxic culture of underachievement they’ve wandered into?
Last season so many excuses were wheeled out: too many ‘unlucky’ injuries; the Boleyn exodus; the London stadium hex; new players in transition and so on. This year we have had a shabby pre-season, and a relegation start: it’s not only the defeats, it’s the way we are playing as if there’s no leadership or plan on or off the pitch. Where is the commitment? We can knock our competitors but watching Leicester, Stoke and WBA, Huddersfield and Bournemouth this weekend, whatever the quality of their players they all put in a shift, played their nuts off, and win or lose, you cannot knock that. If you ain’t good enough, there’s an end to it.
That simply is not the case with our team. We have class, as well as ordinary players, and those past their best; there’s no fight, commitment or backbone showing. No discipline or even fear of the manager. Do you reckon Pulis, Hughes or Benitez would take what we have seen from our team last season and again this? Not a chance. Heads would have been cracked, rightly so. Look at the wonga these guys are earning.
Something has to be quite fundamentally amiss at the club when in the first three games of the season we are fielding an 18 year old defensive midfielder (a brilliant prospect but not yet ready) and a 34 year old centre back who has never had pace at any point in his career. Does that speak of strength in depth? Or of recruiting new players with a focus on pace? No way.
Let’s hope Hugh’s reported meeting between SB and DS leads to swift action, no dragging things out, so that a new manager/coach can be found who is both capable and ballsy enough to hold the line with the owners (business management at the club) and their interference, while instilling a professional discipline among the players. Right now, experienced pro’s won’t be compelled by a manager whose contract has not been extended by the owners.
Right now if we find ourselves without a first team coach, that’s not as forlorn a position as being a club with a rich tradition without a home to call its own, it’s soul. The Spurs have managed to sustain a business model for today’s PL, while retaining their WHL heritage, and have consolidated an excellent coaching team and squad. And by contrast, what have we actually achieved at WHUFC?
Time for Slaven, a decent person, to accept that he has failed to achieve; he has lost the fan base, and it seems his dressing room too. Time for DS and DG to make a clear, clean executive decision to release Slaven.
Brilliantly said!
Totally agree.
Both articulate and accurate.
Nailed it same as Kenny who wrote a good post , and the rest of us pretty much in agreement ! No outcome as yet with the meeting ?
If sully is going on a break then that doesn’t bode well ??
Good post. It’s pretty accurate and I’m a Slaven fan but too many of his shortcomings are obvious now unfortunately.
As for young Rice, he’s a good footballer and he is ready. This is how you learn, he will not make that mistake again. If Slaven treats Rice like he did young Oxford then he seals his fate with me. When you see seasoned pros make many many mistakes and stay in it’s unfair and bad management/coaching.
Were all bilic fans mostly slater ! And yes he’s on thin ice and he deserves it ! I don’t believe rice made a mistake , he was hastled by two players with no help close by !
The ball made its way back to the half way line and they poured in round the back of zabba and all the other missing players ! The effort he put in to correct losing the ball
Was 100% more than any other player in the team ? Bilic pointing a finger at him was a disgrace , from a man who was looking for an excuse and hoping lanzini and his favourite would get him out of jail ! Nope ?
Well said
‘ What must Zabaleta, Hart and Chicha be thinking about the toxic culture of underachievement they’ve wandered into? ‘
This is the most important reason for Bilic’s position to be considered less than safe. Well said.
Has to go sadly, really nice guy on the surface, but obviously has man management skill deficiency. Too many players dont seem to perform to their full potential under his leadership. Shame but now is the time to act. International break gives a new man a window of opportunity and time to bring in one or two before dead line day.
Taxi for Arsene (is their room for Slaven too?)
*there
Meanwhile the u23s have scored another 5. How are some of those lads not getting a look in to play their natural positions when their senior team counterparts are out or on the mend?
Holland played well in pre season, how does he not get in the team.
This happened the season before last with Samuelson and last season with Cullen and Burke. Played well in pre season the. Got sent away, for being too much of a threat on the “1st and 2nd choice” Bilic didn’t want to disrupt by promoting or signing someone good.
Swap Westley and Bilic over?
24 hours of the same fans repeating the same thing.We only need to read your opinion once not 30 times.
So go to a site where you won’t find West Ham fans . Should make you happier , Del Boy.
Better than reading you spouting Kevin.
Bilic must go says Kevin-5 wins in 24 matches
Allardyce should never have been gotten rid of says Kevin-3 wins in 21 matches.
Hmmmm.
Ruffellite was spot on. Good players, worthy of a top eight team, are underperforming when they reach WH. Most disappointing was the captain on Match of the Day explaining how the squad was tired after their pre-season travels and a mid-week game against the mighty Cheltenham. Incredible how the talented younger players aren’t getting a look in; Oxford (if he comes back from loan) and Rice in the match day squad are a must. A loss, draw or narrow win against Huddersfield would be the final straw; only a thrashing will keep Slaven in his job. Let’s hope they pull through.
With all the doom and gloom going around i forgot to pass on some information about a horse namef after our CAPTAIN.
The well named
NOBLE MASTERPIECE WON the 5.50 Yarmouth @ 9/2 i got on sorry for not telling the happy hammers crew.
Adding to my luck with the cashier at my local ladbrokes..whom i asked for round 8& 9 mayweather win and the doppy mare did round 9& 10 @ 22/1 oh well never mind
KEEP SMILING. COYI
At the end of the day, it seems more and more evident there is no osmosis between players and coach. The horrendous performance yesterday was very revealing. The players did not even try. Chcharito was the only one with Ant who tried to move the ball up and take on defenders. The rest was all back and sideway passing. Even without Noble. Sakho was getting upset because he was not receiving balls. He got two in 20 minutes he spent on the pitch.
So yes, I think the players are doing it on purpose. They are fed up, individually and collectively. The tipping point was the withdrawal of Rice.
Now, the big question is : who do we get in ? Because we cannot afford to go from bad to worse. Please, no Moyes, no McLaren and the likes. Benitez is not my choice because he has a complicated mind and is a defensive oriented coach. I understand it is one of our problems, but do we want his style of play to be grafted into this team ?
Put it in the carvalho pot booga !! Its a bit light 😂
im doing a tombola TOMMOROW a bottle of lynx AFRICA top prize to go towards the midfield signing. as tescos say EVER LITTLE HELPS!!
😂 !! Now you’re talking ! The one sully did only had a dove roll on as top dip ? That’s why it fell short lol 😂
i think any announcement will be made after the Carvalho deal is concluded or when a new man is close to signing, we need a man motivator to walk in and shake the team out of this rut. We have a very offensive line up so better not to go for an ultra defensive coach like Mancini or Benitez imo.
That’s the problem 32 , WHO ! Lol or IF , he ain’t gone yet ? Must still be talking , we should know soon enough 😊
i was gonna put a soap on a rope in too Laz. But i didnt wanna bring back any bad memories. 😁 found some mandate and hi karate its in too.
Haha , please, no brut 33 , we don’t want to end up with Keegan 😂
No more foreign managers please
Eddie Howe go and get him young plays good football attracts good players to an unfashionable club without breaking the bank,
Richie put more work into their win then most of our players and we missed him,
We need to bring some energy to our players
If they are tired 3 games into the season they need to find a new job
I would rather watch the kids loose then watch this group of overpaid prima donnas
Where has Slavs enthusiasm gone,
Where’s the bloke standing in the rain for 90 minutes kicking every ball gone
What’s broke his spirit ?
Our we not been told everything ?
No more foreign managers??? WTF are you living in a timewarp!
Will that be the same Eddie Howe sat on 0 points from 3 matches whos defence at Bournemouth is as non existent as ours most the time?
Agree mate but in a few years time howe will become a top manager at a big club and bournemouth will slip backwards after his moved on. Strange though theirs no cry for out on other managers after three games which we should have got six points from but with last season and now this start with much better players having joined i think so many fans have had enough. Love slav but sadly i do think we need new blood and his back up team gone. Hoping jokanovic is the choice and certainly dont want fat boy rafa although mancini wouldnt argue too much thats if slav goes. Imo
Great to see some of you experts are finally seeing and saying what I’ve been seeing and saying for over a year. I gladly welcome you to reality.
COYFI
Wow it must be great to be you ric.Is your house full of mirrors so you can look at yourself and say what a clever boy am i.
Idiot.
🙊
Ive long believed the owners killed the club,
looks like i was wrong,
the fans killed it
No different than we were about Hippo Head is it Nige 😂
I aint going to say nothing this time round though.Bilic probably deserves to go but i have no intention of getting some kick out of slagging him off on here. 😉
Dont tar us all with the same brush mywhufc.The majority of fans will get no pleasure out of having to let Bilic go.The majority dont want to sit on blogs gloating or mouthing off about him or the position he finds himself either.
You aint far wrong Nigel.Since last night i have read half a dozen of the same mugs find every way they can to tear Bilic apart.Not content with saying he should go they have to tell the world what managerial gods they are themselves or find a million reasons to post a new rant.
The same fans who would have been raving about him in the first season.Fickle tw@ts all of ’em.
Our mate Kev is the funniest one GW.Been away for the weekend so i have only just caught up.
He is ripping Slav a new one about 50 different times but when Hippo Head had the same shyt win to games ratio he was still waving his cheerleader pom-poms 😂😂
It’s just the same old Rads😆😆 Haven’t taken Kev seriously since he started beating the Slav out drum after losing to Bournemouth in his 1st season and calling for the return of his beloved Slug asap 😀
Howe good young coach not ready for big time yet though sits with slav 3 defeats. Fat boy rafa no thanks good cv years ago but now a defensive coach which some might say we need but for me no thanks hasnt set a team on fire and real madrid showed up his past as his past. For me jokanovic whos cv is very good young ambitious and plays the way west ham fans loves to watch having gone as far as possible with fulham and their owner i can see why his getting fidgety and thats summising slav goes of course which for me is sad as i do love the geezer and just cant work out as a quality centre back he cant see we need a smalling type player alongside reid and letting the ginge go and especially the useless fonte. Imo
We had one great season, and one disappointing one under Slaven and one them was going to be the norm and one the anomaly.
In my opinion, the hurrah over our new signings has only served to paper over the cracks that were there to be seen last season. It does seem harsh for a manager that there is talk of them being replaced after only three games of a new season. However, for Bilic, the talk is due to the fact that the problems demonstrated by the team this weekend have been ever-present for awhile. I think what worries me the most about Slaven’s management style/technique is that he seems lost at times, and I wouldn’t want a captain steering the ship who is lost.
The moment I started to think he wasn’t the right man to lead West Ham came last season after another dull and dreary performance, I forget the opposition, but in the post-game he interview he looked like he didn’t know what to say. The most damning part was when he said, and I’m paraphrasing here, was that there was no intensity in the match and it was the same in training: no intensity in training? I was shocked. Surely, player attitude, as well as many other aspects of a football team, is his responsibility. If he can’t motivate then players the who bloody will? It seems as though he’s lost the dressing room now and reminds me of the final days of Van Gal at united.
I think the board have been more than patient and supportive enough with him so far and he has been given every chance to turn it around and be a success, however, it just isn’t happening for him. Everybody loves the guy; he has class, integrity and passion for West Ham, unfortunately, popularity contests don’t win football matches.
Whether he stays or goes isn’t my decision to make, but if the time has come for him to part waves with West Ham, then so be it. I wonder how long the board will continue to support him for?
But last year everyone said we were worst at home than away. By all accounts nothing to do with Bilic ? It was because the pitch is tooooo big, and the fans are tooooo far away from the game.