BILIC HOVERS AS SUPPORT FOR CURBS DWINDLES

The Croatia manager Slaven Bilic is emerging as a serious threat to Alan Curbishley as the position of the West Ham manager becomes increasingly precarious.

Subject to scathing criticism from the stands during the midweek Carling Cup tie - which the Hammers only won in extra time after their opponents had a player dismissed - against Macclesfield, Curbishley is understood to have annoyed the club's board with his recent criticism of the club's transfer dealings, while support from Hammers players for their beleaguered boss was conspicuous by its absence yesterday.

Asked for his thoughts on the Upton Park faithful taunting Curbishley with such chants as "You're getting sacked in the morning", defender Matthew Upson replied: "I wasn't surprised."

"I think the fans had every right to be a little bit impatient. They have every right to be frustrated and if they're angry at the manager, then that's just something he needs to deal with," he continued.

Defeat on Saturday at home to Blackburn Rovers - now under the management of East London hate figure Paul Ince - would surely make Curbishley's position untenable.

According to The Independent, Bilic 'is closely following developments at West Ham and would want to take the job if it was offered to him even though, before this summer's European Championship, he signed a new two-year deal to coach his country for the World Cup campaign.

'There are, however, believed to be get-out clauses in his contract and the compensation payable to the Croatian Football Association would be minimal for the former defender, who became a cult hero at West Ham even though he only made 48 appearances, in 1996-97, before joining Everton. Bilic insisted, however, that he did not move before West Ham were safe from relegation.'