Reading boss Jaap Stam has been linked with potentially succeeding Slaven Bilic at West Ham United following the end of the season.
West Ham United’s Aaron Cresswell is substituted off as manager Slaven Bilic looks on
Aaron Cresswell has insisted to Sky Sports that Slaven Bilic has the full support of the West Ham squad amid reports that the Hammers hierarchy are considering targeting Jaap Stam in the summer.
A report in the Sunday Mirror had suggested that the Irons had been impressed by the work that Stam has done at Reading this season, and had put him at the top of their list of targets should they decide to part company with Bilic at the end of the campaign.
However, Cresswell has leapt to Bilic’s defence and suggested that the squad is motivated to get their season back on track to alleviate much of the pressure on the Croatian.
“If you ask any of the players, they would say the same, we are fully behind him and fully supportive of him. Hopefully we can turn it around and take that pressure off everyone,” he told Sky Sports.
“He is positive and passionate about his job. He is bubbly around the place and wants to stay in a positive mood and, as players, that’s what we want.”
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic
While West Ham went into the break off the back of a pretty miserable run – they had failed to win their last five, losing their last three – they return to action knowing that one big win could potentially move them from 12th to ninth in the Premier League table.
And with Hull, Swansea and Sunderland ahead in their next four games – along with Arsenal – it should not be out of the question for the Hammers to build some momentum heading into the final weeks of the season, which may perhaps be vital for Bilic’s prospects of holding onto the job.
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