Ex West Ham striker Tony Cottee says time may be running out for manager Slaven Bilic to get things right at the Hammers.
The 3-0 home defeat to Brighton on Friday night has heaped further pressure on the Croatian with speculation that he has just two games to save his job. Cottee says however that Bilic needs time to turn things around but the fact that his contract runs out at the end of the season suggests he won’t be given it. He told AskFans:
“Given the time he will get it right. Problem is, he’s in the last year of his contract and we’ll have to see what happens. Of course, he’s an ex-team mate of mine so I’m a little bit bias. We played together back in the 94-95 season.”
Cottee believes Bilic’s playing experience for West Ham means he understands the club much better than alternative managerial candidates:
“He’s a great lad with a British mentality. I like any West Ham manager to have a connection with the fans. Not everyone can support the club, obviously, but the fact Slaven has played for the club – he gets it. He knows what it means.”
Names such as Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini and Rafa Benitez have been bandied about as potential replacements for Bilic, but multiple reports today have suggested that the Hammers manager will be given the Carabao Cup match against Tottenham in mid week, as well as the crucial clash against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park next weekend, to keep his job.
