Slaven Bilic would have the West Ham 'fans on side' says Dean Ashton

Beşiktaş manager Slaven Bilic would be the right man to replace current West Ham boss Sam Allardyce according to Dean Ashton.

The former West Ham striker stated that Bilic would be able to establish a strong relationship with the fans and take the club forward.

Ashton told the talkSPORT Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast: “The fan power is very strong at West Ham, they will let you know if they are not happy with you and I think Sam found that out. It’s not just about getting results, which he got. At the start of the season we were looking at a late challenge for Champions League football, which was a bit premature.

“Having the fans on side will make a great difference and Slaven Bilic would obviously get that because of his status at West Ham. He knows the club and knows what the fans demand.”

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Ashton also revealed that he was impressed with the way Bilic got Croatia playing during his time as national team coach and that his style of football would go down well in East London.

“He did a great job for Croatia. It’s easy to forget just how well he did there and the style of football they played,” he added.

Bilic admitted he will be leaving Beşiktaş at the end of the season, following the game against Gençlerbirliği.

The Croatian manager failed to win any silverware or a derby against Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe during his time in charge.

The experienced coach did however, maintain an unbeaten record against English opposition on home soil in European competition this season.

Beşiktaş held Arsenal to a goalless draw and beat Liverpool as well as West Ham rivals Tottenham.