The Day After: David Sullivan issues warning to Slaven Bilic & staff

In a matter of hours, a very well-prepared letter penned by David Sullivan hits West Ham United’s website apologizing to the fans for the team’s performance following Leicester City’s 3-2 victory. While the sentiment he tried to convey was probably meant to be heart-felt in nature, I was left feeling a bit chaffed about it.

One of the more irritating lines of the letter stated:

We have to find out why we are conceding so many goals and fix it because it is obviously harder to win games when you concede two or three goals in a game than if you keep a clean sheet.

Mate, everyone knows why we are conceding so many goals. The real mystery is how you haven’t figured it out yet. This is what grinds my gears about David Gold & Sullivan. Everything they say or do makes it seem like they’re cutting off their arms for the good of the club. As if they are just regular ole Charlies who are as angry, shocked, and disappointed by the performance of the team. I can picture it now; a bunch of blokes standing in a pub complaining about West Ham, when randomly David Gold slithers into the group and says, “Yeah! And how about that dodgy Bilic character?”

What we absolutely cannot forget is that David Sullivan is head of negotiations and recruitment for West Ham United. When he says he’s confused as to why the players aren’t performing and points to someone else as the problem, it’s a total avoidance of guilt.

Everyone and their non-footballing fan mothers knew what West Ham United needed going into the winter transfer window. A right back and a forward to help when big Andy Carroll isn’t able to make the pitch.

Many of West Ham’s defensive woes are a bit circumstantial as well. Knowing Angelo Ogbonna’s odometer was quickly approaching zero, West Ham went out and purchased the defensive captain on one of the more defensively apt teams. A move, which everyone at the time applauded the transfer prowess of David Sullivan. To date, and to West Ham’s misfortune, Jose Fonte has been unable to pair up with Winston Reid in any effective manner. Combine that with the Hammers defensive lapses on the right side, and you have a volatile formula that will disappoint more than appease.

But, we need to be good before we are losing!

To be 2-0 down after seven minutes of any football match, be it in the Premier League or in your local Sunday League, makes it very difficult to get a positive result.

Sullivan was once again impressed with the resiliency of the team’s performance but would like to see that intensity for 90 minutes a match, and not just 45. That is certainly something we could all stand behind, after witnessing back to back matches where West Ham struggled to start off strong.

A little bit of salt hidden in every spoonful of sugar

The next few games now become vital for our season. We go to Hull City, then to Arsenal, before we welcome Swansea City to London Stadium.

If this isn’t a message to Slaven Bilic and his staff my name isn’t Jonny BBQ (long story). David outlined the next three matches as vital for the club. You don’t have to look far for the board’s reaction to yesterday’s match since they utilize social media as a form of obtuse therapy. This sums up my sentiment perfectly.