UK Edition
Slaven Bilic has four games to save his West Ham job after dismal start to the season
West Ham United have told Slaven Bilic that he has the four Premier League games after the international break to save his job.
Talks were held between the club and the manager following the disastrous start to the season with three league defeats including the 3-0 loss away to Newcastle United after which serious consideration was given to sacking Bilic.
The manager, in the final year of his contract, will now have home games against Huddersfield Town, Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea City and an away fixture at West Bromwich Albion, to attempt to turn the team’s fortunes around.
In saying that if West Ham lose to Huddersfield, in the first game at home this season, then it would be difficult to see Bilic surviving much longer after that given the mood around the club’s hierarchy which is a hangover from last season.
That mood is not shared by the players who fully support and back the manager and one school of thought is that West Ham’s drastic actions may be an attempt to provoke a reaction from the under-performing team.
Concern has been expressed to Bilic about West Ham’s tactic and team selections and also his training methods, which were also discussed last season when the team struggled before rallying impressively to finish 11th in the first tumultuous season at the Olympic Stadium.
Bilic is well-aware of the situation and determined to turn things rounds. The Croat wants to stay as West Ham manager but it seems his hopes of signing William Carvalho from Sporting Lisbon, to give the team a genuine holding midfielder, are fading.
An offer from West Ham remains on the table but, so far, Sporting are refusing to lower their asking price and the two parties are £5.5million apart. West Ham have offered 32million euros (£29.1million) for Carvalho plus five million euros (£4.55million) in add-ons. Sporting are holding out for 38million (34.6million) plus five million euros in add-ons and despite extensive negotiations have not yet budged.