Gabbidon makes claim about relationship between Bilic and West Ham players

Follow us on Google Discover

West Ham’s poor form continued with a 3-0 defeat to Brighton on Friday.

Former West Ham defender Danny Gabbidon believes West Ham’s stars are no longer playing for manager Slaven Bilic as their slump in form continues.

The Hammers have won just two Premier League matches all season and sit in a lowly 16th place, following their dismal 3-0 loss at home to newly-promoted Brighton last Friday.

Former Croatia and Besiktas manager Bilic is coming under huge pressure to turn around the east London outfit’s fortunes, with his job currently on the line.

Speaking to Alan Brazil’s TalkSPORT Breakfast Show on Tuesday morning, Gabbidon claimed that Bilic’s squad do not look like they are playing for their manager and the Welshman believes the Hammers boss is partly to blame.

“It doesn’t look like they play for the manager,” Gabbidon said. “I think you have to look at Slaven Bilic.

“He has to take a bit of responsibility because he picks the side, he picks the tactics, he’s been involved in bringing some of those players to the club but I think he’s got a group of players there who just play when they want to at times.”

“There’s not enough team spirit there and if you are a player you look at the manager and say ‘ok maybe we are not buying into some of the stuff you are doing’.”

West Ham’s expectant fans were optimistic at the start of the season after bringing in high-profile stars including Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez.

However, the new quartet have struggled to mirror that optimism in their performances and the club are now languishing dangerously at the bottom of the league, with only goal difference separating them from the bottom three.

Bilic will be hoping his side can put their bad form behind them on Wednesday night and defy the odds to knock high-flying Tottenham out of the Carabao Cup at Wembley.