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Ambitious Bilic targeting future glory

THINGS have settled down at West Ham and thoughts are starting to turn to the future.

A new contract is on the agenda for boss Slaven Bilic, who is eyeing an extended stay to increase his chances of building the club.

“The longer you stay somewhere, the more chance you have to win things,” he said.

“Normally, you have a much bigger chance if you are given time to build your team and improve it.” That’s what Bilic will be aiming to do again this summer, when he is expected to be handed a significant amount of money to spend once more.

Their search for a big-name striker will resume and a rightback will also be a priority.

The versatile Cheikhou Kouyate has been filling in lately with Sam Byram and Alvaro Arbeloa failing to convince. There will be an extra determination to get things right in the next summer window. A poor one last year hampered their chances of kicking on from last season’s seventh-place finish which, briefly, brought Europa League football. Just one of the glut of signings from last summer, Sofiane Feghouli, started against Chelsea last night. If Michail Antonio had not been suspended that number might well have been zero.

Encouragingly, West Ham’s January work was better. Jose Fonte and Robert Snodgrass arrived and have quickly nailed down places in the side.

Lessons have clearly been learned, and it has been a season full of them for the Hammers, and Bilic (left) has done well to steady the ship.

The Dimitri Payet saga, the new stadium furore – still not solved based on last night’s latest security breach – more injuries and indifferent form have all tested the manager.

But the early season woes have eased somewhat and West Ham are now on course for a mid-table finish.

There is still work to be done, though, as occasions like last night, when the Hammers were comfortably beaten, show.

That work looks set to continue under Bilic.