From Croatia: Bilic didn’t get transfers he wanted at West Ham, led to current situation

 

Slaven Bilic’s situation at West Ham is of course big news in the manager’s native Croatia. West Ham have been linked with several potential new coaches for next season, and the board’s vote of confidence in Bilic has done nothing to stop the rumours.

Croatian newspaper Vecernji List report that Bilic may have been a victim of his own early success at West Ham, setting expectations too high. But, even with that allowance, fair expectations weren’t for the Hammers to be in a relegation battle.

That may be stretching it, West Ham are now eight points clear of the drop, but Bilic has spoken about the battle and it’s conceivable.

Vecernji List say one of the main reasons for the current situation is Bilic failing to get the transfers he wanted during the summer window. Wanting Carlos Bacca or Alexandre Lacazette, West Ham ended up with Simone Zaza.

Whilst Zaza wasn’t the greatest of ideas, West Ham can’t be faulted in their attempts to sign Bacca and Lacazette. The Frenchman was never going to join West Ham, and a fee was agreed with Milan for Bacca, but he too wanted a higher standard.

Maybe it would have been better for West Ham and Slaven Bilic to have agreed more realistic targets before the window opened, and that’s a lesson it will be hoped has been accepted.