Bilic not concerned over West Ham future

Patric Ridge

Bilic not concerned over West Ham future image

Slaven Bilic has insisted that he is not concerned about his future at West Ham, despite having now gone five Premier League fixtures without a win.

Dimitri Payet's spectacular individual effort salvaged a crucial point for West Ham at London Stadium on Saturday, as the Hammers drew 1-1 with fellow struggler Middlesbrough.

That result ended a run of four successive league defeats, but Bilic was quick to shirk off any speculation about his position at the club.

"I know my situation, I'm not new in football and I know how it works. I'm not thinking about my future but my job," Bilic said. "I really don't like where we are in the table because I'm putting myself under pressure.

"My team is very alive and very together. I can't say I'm happy but I'm positive regarding the future. We got a point after four games lost and showed what character and spirit are all about. On the other hand, it wasn't the result we were looking for. We wanted to beat Middlesbrough after two home defeats.

Bilic was, however, quick to praise the display of goal-scorer Payet, but has challenged his other players to step up and meet the standards set by the France international.

"Thanks to Dimitri [Payet] we were only down for a short period. His goal can change our season, but we can't rely on that," Bilic added. "He did it because he has the quality and is one of the best players in Europe, but we need quality from others.

 

Patric Ridge