SLAVEN WAS TOO SOFT ON HIS HAMMERS

SACKED Slaven Bilic phoned West Ham United’s stars to ask them where he had gone wrong.

In an astonishing move, the axed Croation boss (right) spoke to the under-performing Hammers players as he tried to come to terms with being fired. They did not hold back.

Bilic was told by them that he had not been tough enough, he allowed poor time-keeping to go unpunished and his training methods were slammed for

lacking quality and intensity in the last few weeks.

Some players would report to the training pitch after a session had started, without official sanction.

Bilic failed to make an issue of it – and even allowed them to escape justified club fines.

Many of the Hammers stars liked Bilic the man and helped him in his debrief, reviewing his two-and-ahalf-year reign.

But former boss Sam Allardyce (above) said the players had to take a share of the blame for Bilic’s exit.

“He didn’t live up to the expectation this season,” said Allardyce. “Bilic paid the price for that, the players let him down badly.”

Bilic said: “I’m going to have a break with my family.

“I have had calls from clubs in other countries, but I can’t see myself doing anything before next January at the earliest.”