West Ham boss Slaven Bilic admits James Tomkins left for Crystal Palace because he couldn’t guarantee the defender first team football
Hammers meet Alan Pardew's side this weekend with Tomkins set to face his former club
SLAVEN BILIC says guarantees in football guarantee only one thing — big trouble.
West Ham’s boss has gone into detail about why he let James Tomkins leave over the summer for £10million.
The defender, 27, awaits them with his new club Crystal Palace this evening. And Bilic insisted no one at the London Stadium has a cast-iron right to first-team football — not even Dimitri Payet.
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He said: “You want your players on their toes. During the season you need all of them motivated, hungry and ready when the time comes to perform.
“You can’t give players guarantees because you don’t know what’ll happen in four or five weeks’ time. If you promise them something and don’t do it, then it’s definitely no good for them.
“You have players you are going to give a chance and you have something for Plan B, then you have the squad players.
“I tried to explain the situation with James. I didn’t want him to leave as last year he played many, many games in different positions and was very good for our squad.
“But I couldn’t guarantee he would play week in, week out and that is the reason he left.
“He didn’t want to leave because he is West Ham born and bred. He wanted guarantees basically and I couldn’t give him that.
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“Nowadays you can’t say it. There are no guarantees. James is a good player and if he was here he would be playing. He wouldn’t be in the stands when we have a game.”
West Ham’s season ignited in September 2015 in a 3-1 win at Selhurst Park in which Payet scored a stunner. The Hammers went on to finish seventh and reach the last eight of the FA Cup.
Bilic hopes to heal his rift with striker Diafra Sakho, who is close to a return from injury.
The Senegal international, 26, fell out with Bilic over not starting a game against Arsenal last season.
But a lack of firepower and competition up front is glaringly obvious and set to over-ride the duo’s personal feelings.
Bilic (right) said: “He’s improving, he’s running, he’s sprinting, he’s doing the ball work, he’s almost there but not for Saturday or next Saturday.
“He was in the gym, now he’s on the pitch. If that continues he’ll be back very soon.”