West Ham give Bilic vote of confidence

West Ham have attempted to end speculation surrounding manager Slaven Bilic's future by offering him a vote of confidence.

Tigers hit back against Hammers

The London Stadium side find themselves 14th in the Premier League table ahead of Sunday's action and are only six points clear of the relegation zone with seven matches remaining.

On Saturday, they slumped to a 2-1 defeat against lowly Hull City - their third successive loss in all competitions.

A club statement reads: "To end speculation once and for all, the West Ham United Board feel it necessary to announce that we have 100 per cent faith in Slaven Bilic's ability to lead West Ham United.

"Despite press speculation to the contrary, the manager's position is not under threat. The Board know that Slaven and his coaching staff have the full backing of the playing squad and the overwhelming majority of supporters to lead West Ham United out of this difficult spell.

"The Board now urge all supporters to unite behind the manager, his staff and the squad as we go into some important games. We all have complete confidence in their ability to end a testing run of results and finish the season on a high."

While the club have sought to quell interest in the Croatian's future, it may be that they have served only to fuel the flames ahead of a midweek trip to Arsenal and a weekend home match against Swansea City that now appears very important.