FINE FOR FIGHT DUO IS JUST THE TICKET
SLAVEN BILIC is facing the sack as West Ham manager before Christmas if he loses two key games.
Bilic had crisis talks with the West Ham board yesterday and has been warned he has to prove he can turn results around quickly.
The Croatian’s team face a daunting trip to Liverpool on Sunday.
But he will be judged on the results of the following two home matches – against struggling Burnley on Wednesday week and Hull three days later.
Defeats in both of those games – and West Ham have won only two out of seven home league games at the London Stadium this season – and Bilic will almost certainly lose his job, with FIGHTING duo Jermaine Beckford and Eoin Doyle were hit with fines by Preston yesterday – with the money used to refund fans who made the trip to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
They were sent off for scrapping with each other and will have to former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini a possible candidate if he does go.
West Ham are without a win in their last six games, went out of the EFL Cup at Manchester United last week, and are just one point above the relegation places.
In the talks, the board discussed the prospect of Bilic taking on former Hammers star Rio Ferdinand as a defensive coach on a part-time basis to help him sort out a side that has conceded 29 goals in 14 games and lost 5-1 at home to Arsenal on Saturday.
After that game Bilic criticised the attitude and commitment of his players. The board, who do not want cough up £25,000 between them to repay the supporters who saw their side lose 2-1.
“We apologise wholeheartedly for our actions,” said Beckford and Doyle in a joint statement yesterday. “We let down the management, our team-mates and most importantly the supporters, who had spent a lot of money to support the team.”
A club spokesman said 801 fans made the trip from Preston having bought tickets at £33 each from the club. They will also give refunds to those who bought tickets on the day at Hillsborough.
The fight started when Beckford took exception to Doyle’s decision to pass to Marnick Vermijl, who shot over the bar in the 90th minute.