Bilic delays naming daughter due to West Ham worries

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is so focused on getting his team back on track he has delayed naming his baby daughter.

Bilic’s men have made a poor start to the season, winning just one of their opening five Premier League games to be sitting in the relegation zone.

The Croatian is so consumed by his side’s struggles that he is yet to name his newborn.

“I said to my assistants that I feel very strange because I got a baby girl a few days ago and I think totally about football,” Bilic told UK newspapers.

“That’s not good. Of course I adore her and for her I would walk on my knees to Australia.

“But when they asked me if I gave her a name I said, ‘Name? No I still haven’t.’ That’s football, I have a job to do.”

West Ham host Southampton on Sunday looking to end a run of poor form that has included four losses from their past five games.

Bilic is remaining upbeat and said he was focused on finding answers.

“There are reasons. Sometimes when managers talk about those kind of things people think they are excuses,” he said.

“But they are things to talk about to get the solutions to the problems, instead of going wild in a panic.

“The main thing is to stay positive because if you don’t, you’ve got no chance.”