Slaven Bilic’s worst moments as West Ham manager as surprise return becomes realistic option
Slaven Bilic has been linked with a sensational return to West Ham.
Nuno Espirito Santo is under severe pressure after a dreadful run of results, and Bilic has mentioned as West Ham’s potential next manager.
Nuno’s men are in danger of being relegated, and Bilic would have a huge task on his hands if he were to be appointed by David Sullivan.
The Croatian manager guided the Irons to a seventh-placed finish in 2015-16, but the departure of talisman Dimitri Payet meant things quickly unravelled for the Croatian manager.
He was eventually sacked in November 2017, and West Ham Zone looks back at some of his worst moments in charge.
Dimitri Payet goes on strike
Payet is one of the most technically gifted players to have ever played for West Ham, and he set Upton Park alight with his trickery.
The Frenchman registered 26 goal contributions in all competitions during the 2015-16 campaign, scoring wonderful goals and changing matches with his brilliance.
However, after a poor start to the following season, he refused to play for West Ham as he begged for a January move to Marseille, which he eventually got in 2017.
Many Hammers fans have never quite forgiven Payet for disappearing in the middle of a relegation battle and leaving them stranded after being a fan favourite for so long.
Bilic had to deal with the mess and adapt his squad accordingly, and it ultimately became a stain on his legacy at West Ham.
However, low points in Bilic’s spell took place long before Payet had left E20.
The infamous Europa League loss to Astra Giurgiu – 25 August 2016
West Ham failed to reach the Europa League group stage as Astra Giurgiu knocked them out in the qualifying round for the second year in a row.
The Hammers drew 1-1 with the Romanian champions in the first leg, before falling to a dreadful 1-0 defeat at the London Stadium to knock them out of Europe.
Having just moved to their new home, fans were embarrassed to see a squad that contained the likes of Payet and Michail Antonio come unstuck against a team with a much smaller transfer budget.
It went down as one of the worst results in West Ham’s recent history, and it was a shock that no one saw coming.
Unfortunately for the supporters, misery at the London Stadium was only just beginning under Bilic.
West Ham 1-5 Arsenal – 3 December 2016
The London Stadium has been at the centre of problems around the club, and if West Ham were to be relegated this season, the ground would become even more soulless than it currently is.
It has been a problem for nearly a decade, and one of the first times the former London 2012 Olympic ground was virtually empty was in a disastrous loss to Arsenal at home.
The Gunners raced into a 3-0 lead, and despite Andy Carroll’s stooping header, hopes of a comeback were extinguished as Arsenal found the back of the net another two times.
| Stat | Bilic |
| Games managed | 111 |
| Wins | 42 |
| Draws | 30 |
| Losses | 39 |
| Win percentage | 37.84 |
The match was remembered for Alexis Sanchez’s brilliant hat trick, but in reality, it was the first sign that the Hammers were well out of their depth in their new home.
Upton Park had been a fortress for so many years, and the loss to Arsenal signalled how opponents came to E20 and didn’t feel any fear.
This was the start of the end for Bilic at West Ham, and there are fears that if he does replace Nuno, these results could repeat themselves, given the team’s low morale.
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