Everything Slaven Bilic has said about ‘special’ West Ham reign since being sacked as manager
Slaven Bilic has been linked with a return to West Ham.
The Croatian has emerged as a managerial target alongside Sean Dyche at West Ham, should a new face be needed in the London Stadium dugout.
This comes after a difficult start to the season, which has seen huge pressure build on Graham Potter as West Ham boss.
West Ham’s defeat against Tottenham may represent the beginning of the end for Potter, with David Sullivan seemingly on the lookout for alternatives.
This could see a move to bring Bilic back to East London be executed, something which is likely to go down well with the former head coach.
Slaven Bilic was gracious after West Ham sack
The Croatian was sacked back in 2017, with David Moyes replacing him as West Ham boss for his first spell in charge in East London.
This came off the back of a frustrating debut year at the Olympic Stadium, after what had been an iconic campaign in the final months of the Boleyn Ground.
As a result, many fans were disappointed to see him leave in such a fashion, but that isn’t to say that Bilic was annoyed by the decision.
The departing manager shared a message to supporters via the official West Ham website on 6 November to share his love for the E20 club.
He said: “I would like to say how proud I am to have been given the opportunity to manage West Ham United Football Club.
“I am sad that it hasn’t worked out in the way we wanted this season. But I leave with my head held high, along with some wonderful memories that I will always cherish.
“I would like to finish by thanking the West Ham United supporters. We had a special bond when I played for the club, and that bond was still there when I returned as manager.
“I genuinely hope they get the success they deserve, and I wish everyone at West Ham United all the very best in the future.”
Slaven Bilic was proud of his spell as West Ham manager
It is clear to see how much the Irons meant to the ex-West Brom boss, despite ultimately falling victim to the general disappointment of the London Stadium.
Other than Moyes, no manager has truly been able to get past the frustrations of the arena, but Bilic still has fond memories of his time.
Looking back on his spell in the Hammers’ dugout, the 57-year-old spoke out via The Standard on 24 January 2020 to share how proud he was to have been West Ham head coach.
He said: “The last few months were difficult, but I am proud of what we did at West Ham. It didn’t finish great, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a great period for me. I played at West Ham and then managed there for a decent spell, and the first couple of seasons were very positive.
“I’m extremely proud of those two years, and I believe we did a really good job, breaking records and everything. The third season didn’t start well, and after that, we were playing catch-up. It was tiring towards the end, but before that, I have many good memories.”
Slaven Bilic still had problems at West Ham
It still wasn’t all rosy for Bilic in charge of the claret and blue outfit, despite the clear fondness he speaks with after his exit.
There were still issues that the Croatian had to deal with, which have left a slight cloud over his time in charge of the Irons.
This was shown in an interview with The Guardian back in November 2019, where he described West Ham as “a very difficult club to manage”.
This came due to the distractions available to players away from the pitch that ultimately hampered the focus of certain players.
On that, he said: “Unless you are a massive club and you have that pressure from within, I’m talking Arsenal, Chelsea, for the younger generation of players, it is much easier to stay focused if they play in, let’s say, Burnley, or here.”
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