Why Slaven Bilic’s position at West Ham is potentially more precarious than it should be

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The Croatian is enduring a difficult spell with the Premier League side.

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic

While Slaven Bilic’s history as a former West Ham United player will surely boost his chances of keeping the fans on side during this tough period, there is arguably one key factor that could mean that his position is more precarious than it should be.

The Croatian is starting to feel the pressure at the London Stadium after a 4-2 defeat away to West Bromwich Albion saw the Hammers fall to fourth from bottom in the Premier League, having conceded more goals than any other team in the top flight.

And while Bilic enjoyed an excellent first year in the dugout – leading the Irons to seventh in the league – it is possible that questions about his future may begin to arise if their poor run continues.

Unfortunately for the 48-year-old, he is perhaps more vulnerable because of the fact that he was some way off being the club hierarchy’s first choice when they were deciding who Sam Allardyce’s successor would be.

Carlo Ancelotti was reportedly one of several managers approached by the Hammers before Bilic’s appointment

The Telegraph reported at the time that Rafael Benitez, Carlo Ancelotti, David Moyes and Antonio Conte had rejected the chance to succeed Allardyce, and it was only then the club decided to turn to their former centre-back.

With that in mind, it could be argued that the board may be more willing to make a change as it would be difficult for them to argue that he is their man.

One thing that may work in Bilic’s favour however, is the fact that all of those managers are now working elsewhere so it would not be easy to appoint a suitable replacement as some may not be interested in taking the job, while others may find their current clubs make it incredibly difficult for a deal to be negotiated.

While it should be a long time before Bilic is under the kind of pressure that sees his job under threat, he must not forget that having seemingly not been the board’s preferred candidate originally, there is a possibility that they may have fewer reservations about letting him go if their woes continue.