Bilic must listen to star man head of crucial summer for West Ham

Bilic must listen to star man head of crucial summer for West Ham

It has been a tough season for West Ham and their fans, with the move from Upton Park to the London Stadium having gone far from smooth and performances being well below what is expected from fans in east London.

After a couple of seasons challenging for the European spots only to be knocked out in the qualifiers, it was expected that at their new home the club could kick on and cement their place in the top seven of the Premier League.

However, with just under a month to go in the domestic calendar the Hammers find themselves just seven points above the relegation zone in 14th place.

Their season was not setup in perfect circumstances as Slavn Bilic missed out on a number of targets and was not in full control of all 13 summer signings made, most of which have not lived up to their billing.



With that in mind, getting recruitment right this time around is an absolute must if Bilic is to keep his job. After speculation around his future this season, there is no chance he will survive in his post should similar performances occur in the early stages of next season.

In that vein, this term’s top scorer Michail Antonio, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury, has spoken out over the investment needed around him if they are to once again compete for the European places next summer.

Speaking to ESPN, Antonio, who earned his first call up to the England squad earlier this season, said:

“We need to sign a couple of players – a right-back, one more centre-half, two strikers – and get more goals,

“If we can do that, we will be up there for European places.”

Bilic seemed to have learnt from his summer mistakes in the January window, targeting players with a wealth of Premier League experience in Jose Fonte and Robert Snodgrass, as opposed to prospects from the continent.

Although the two winter additions have not performed to the level that many fans will have hoped, it is hard to fault the logic of Bilic in bringing in the duo.

Having had the last two windows to learn from, the club must go to extreme lengths to make sure they add the right level of experience and talent in the correct places.

Should they get their recruitment right this summer, there is no reason that the second year at the London Stadium cannot be a successful one.