Has Slaven Bilic shown enough to be next seasons manager?
Slaven Bilic has had a rough second season at West Ham. As they now seem to be clear of relegation, will he still be around next year?
After his first season at the club most fans were keen for the Croatian to sign a long deal. Here was West Ham possibly closing in on Champions League spots. It was a great year but the board were savvy enough to wait it out.
Obviously this season has not gone as well, and many are now calling for him to be sacked. With recent reports suggesting his performance will be reviewed at the end of the year, are Bilic’s games in charge of the East Londoners coming to an end?
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Second Season Syndrome
Those calling for Bilic’s head, like I was earlier this season, have to accept that this year was always going to be hard. Like Leicester have fallen after winning the title, it’s hard to be a surprise package two years in a row. Teams get wise to you. And when your talisman from the previous season decides to up and leave halfway through this one it’s pretty hard to get the same kind of results.
Add that to the fact the club has moved stadium, and Bilic’s season isn’t awful. Although I still stand by my calls for Bilic to be removed earlier in the season. Now however, it’s about the coming years rather than Premier League survival.
Bilic is incredibly stubborn, so the board must accept that if they sign him they will be playing a certain way. They must also back him with the signings that he wants. There cannot be a half hearted decision when it comes to picking the leader of your club, and if the board don’t give him a significant contract if they keep him on they will send the wrong message out.
Does He Deserve It?
It’s hard to judge, but there have been times where I, and other fans, have called his thinking into question. The board must take all of those small decisions into account, even when acknowledging the injuries and off field issues that have dominated West Ham related headlines of late.
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However I find it strange that they would give him the whole season if not to keep him. There were strong rumours that Mancini wanted to take over, and I would still take him at the club. But again the board must not delay. The players and the manager all deserve to know where the club is heading ahead of an important summer.