West Ham manager Slaven Bilic targets top-half Premier League finish despite poor start to season

SLAVEN BILIC is expecting his side to finish in the top half of the table despite them struggling one place above the relegation zone.

West Ham have not won in five games and are just one point ahead of 18th place in the Premier League after being thrashed by Arsenal 5-1 in their new London Stadium home.

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Its been a huge fall from grace for the East London side having finished seventh in their final season at the Boleyn but the move to Stratford has not gone to plan.

Club owner David Sullivan has given Bilic his backing to turn things around and get the Hammers further up the table in a season that seemed to promise so much.

The London Stadium was to house European football and become a fortress and a platform for West Ham to raise their profile and become a bigger club.

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Being dumped out in the playoff round of the Europa League by Astra Giurgiu the same team that knocked them out at the same stage last season, set the tone for this season, with the club now finishing themselves in a real slump that they are struggling to get out of.

Bilic told BBC SPORT: ''We are not happy with the position we are in at the moment.''

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"We are not directly talking about relegation but straight after your game you have to look at the results here and the results there. It's not ideal.

"I feel the support of the fans, the team and the board. My next few games are my test."

West Ham's tough run is set to continue when they travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool at the weekend but after the tough test of taking on Jurgen Klopp's men they have a run of fixtures that are very much winnable.

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Two home games follow against Burnley and Hull city before double away trips to Swansea and Leicester City who are both in disastrous form themselves.

In a months time things could be looking much rosier for Bilic but if the last five games are to go by, the owners may retract on their support and decided its time for a new man to take the helm.