Slaven Bilic 'expected' West Ham sacking and insists there 'are no hard feelings'

Slaven Bilic has revealed that he expected to be dismissed by West Ham but insists he has no hard feelings about getting the axe.

The 49-year-old former Hammers defender was relieved of his duties as West Ham manager following a meeting with co-owner David Sullivan on Monday morning.

The decision to part ways with Bilic came after West Ham lost 4-1 to Liverpool at the London Stadium on Saturday evening, and with the east London club languishing in the relegation zone.

Bilic led West Ham to a memorable seventh-placed finish in the club's final season at the Boleyn Ground last year before the move to Stratford saw the Hammers endure a poor campaign but recover to end in 11th position.

The team's struggles in their new stadium continued this term, with West Ham winning just two of their opening 11 matches - which Bilic believes is the reason why he has been sacked.

"I expected it. There are no hard feelings," Bilic told Sky Sports.

"I can be very proud of my work here.

"We didn’t start this crucial season well. As in many clubs across Europe, the manager is the one who pays the price.

"It’s a very logical move. The fans were brilliant to me from the start until the end."