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Tony Gale delivers verdict on future of senior West Ham figure
By Will Butcher
Tony Gale believes West Ham’s board must offer their full support to manager Slaven Bilic as he understands what it means to be a part of the east London club.
The Sun claimed on Wednesday that the Hammers board will sack Croat boss Bilic if he failed to provide a top 10 finish this season, and they currently sit in 12th place.
However, ex-West Ham man Gale told Alan Brazil’s talkSPORT Breakfast Show that Bilic must remain in charge at the London Stadium and criticised the board for judging him on results.
“I think he’s done a terrific job,” Gale said, as quoted by Brazil’s Twitter account. “We know all the problems; going into the new ground, the Payet situation and obviously they’ve had a few injuries lately.
“The board coming and saying ‘we have to look at results’, well they have got it exactly wrong. They have to get behind him now because he gets what West Ham’s all about.”
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West Ham's owners must BACK manager Slaven Bilic and not sack him in the summer, says #WHUFC legend Tony Gale… pic.twitter.com/bLJW9joQsW
— Alan Brazil (@SportsBreakfast) March 30, 2017
Doubts over Bilic’s future are on the rise after three straight defeats have left the Hammers in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
Championship managers Jaap Stam, Rafa Benitez and David Wagner have all been widely reported as interesting the Hammers board, who could be looking to identify replacements.
The London Evening Standard revealed that the board could delay offering Bilic a new contract until the middle of next season, as they undergo an end-of-season review of the club’s fortunes.
Bilic next takes to the dugout on Saturday, as his side travel to Yorkshire to face relegation threatened Hull City at the KCOM Stadium.
A 10th Premier League win of the season for West Ham and Bilic could see them leap up the table to ninth place, if Stoke, Bournemouth and Southampton all drop points this weekend.
In other West Ham news, Harry Redknapp believes the Hammers should re-sign this Premier League striker.
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