- West Ham United will likely sack Slaven Bilic if he loses his next two matches
- He is preparing for back-to-back derbies away at Tottenham then Crystal Palace
- Bilic is on the brink at the London Stadium after Friday’s 3-0 defeat by Brighton
- But Hammers bigwigs are struggling to line-up a suitable replacement for him
Slaven Bilic is clinging to his job as West Ham boss but the club’s board are worried about their lack of obvious options for a successor.
While Bilic remains on the brink, their search for a suitable replacement in the short and long term has seen the Hammers hit a brick wall.
Friday night’s 3-0 home loss to Brighton means West Ham’s manager now faces crucial away games against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup and Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
West Ham United will likely sack manager Slaven Bilic if his side lose their next two matches
Bilic is on the brink at the London Stadium following Friday evening’s 3-0 defeat by Brighton
Next up for the Hammers are away derbies against Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace
Club insiders say two losses will force the board’s hand, regardless of whether a replacement is lined up.
It risks leaving them in the lurch like Leicester, who sacked Craig Shakespeare last week. Assistant Michael Appleton has temporarily taken over at the King Power Stadium.
There is concern in the West Ham boardroom that there is no obvious option within the club who could act as a competent caretaker.
They are considering a short-term fix and looking at managers with Premier League experience who are currently out of work.
It comes amid frustration that their long-term targets are unavailable. Manuel Pellegrini is in charge of Chinese Super League side Hebei China Fortune on a lucrative contract, David Wagner wants to see out the season with Huddersfield and Rafa Benitez is tied to Newcastle. Carlo Ancelotti is out of work but has said he wants to sit out this season.
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan and the board are concerned about their lack of options
They are keen on Manuel Pellegrini but he is on a lucrative contract at Hebei China Fortune
Sullivan and Co would also be interested in Carlo Ancelotti but he is taking a break from work
Their lack of options may have bought Bilic time after their loss to Brighton, who secured their first top-flight away win since 1983.
The manner in which they were beaten by the newly-promoted Premier League side sent West Ham into a tailspin.
The club could allow Bilic to see out his contract, which expires at the end of the season, but only if he bucks up his ideas.
Bilic and co-owner David Sullivan plan to speak on Monday over the phone.
There has been no major fallout between the pair despite the alarming performance on Friday.
To his credit, Bilic did not sell his well-paid players down the river and accepted full responsibility in his post-match press conference after the Brighton defeat.