- Igor Stimac says old friend and teammate Slaven Bilic will get West Ham United winning again
- Former Hammers and Croatia defender was a long-time defensive partner of the manager
- Stimac made 52 appearances for the Club between 1999 and 2001
Igor Stimac has backed old friend, compatriot and fellow former Hammers defender Slaven Bilic to lead the Club out of its current predicament.
The 49-year-old was part of the same star-studded Croatia side as Bilic which so impressed at EURO 96 and the FIFA World Cup in France in 1998, earning 53 caps between 1990 and 2002.
A versatile centre-half like the current West Ham United manager, Stimac emulated his fellow countryman by moving to east London in 1999, appearing 52 times over two seasons, before following Bilic into the Croatian national-team hot seat in 2012.
Stimac is naturally supportive of his long-time teammate, and has every confidence that he will set West Ham back on the right track before too long.
“When Slaven got the job, I said that he will be an instant success at West Ham United,” Stimac told whufc.com. “He knows what this job is about and how to turn things round.
“One thing I am pretty sure of is that Slaven will not lose his passion, commitment and confidence.
“The one thing which I am confused about is how some people in England question his ability after every game, forgetting how great a job he did last season.”
One thing I am pretty sure of is that Slaven will not lose his passion, commitment and confidence
Igor Stimac
While respectful of West Ham’s ambitions of breaking into the Premier League’s top six on a regular basis following the summer move to London Stadium, Stimac is experienced enough to know that such progression cannot happen overnight.
The former centre-half, who scored his solitary goal in Claret and Blue at Newcastle United in January 2000, called for fans to be patient and give his old friend an opportunity to work through the issues he is currently dealing with.
“Our club is still not in the range of Man United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Man City and our manager needs more support when things are not going as expected,” Stimac observed.
“We all know that Slaven is the right guy for West Ham and I point my finger at the players here to wake up and bring back to their game the same passion they showed last season.
“Not long ago they played with much more intensity, looking after each other and fighting as a team – defenders need to defend, midfielders to fight and pass the ball quickly to support the front players and make it easy for the them.
“They all stood up for Slaven last season, praising his work, and if they don’t want to lose him then I expect team captain Mark Noble to shake up the dressing room and the team to start producing good football again.”
*The opinions expressed in this article are those of the interviewee and not necessarily those of West Ham United