A dismal 3-0 home defeat at the hands of the newly-promoted Brighton & Hove Albion has left West Ham United hovering above the relegation zone on goal difference. It was a difficult evening for boss Slaven Bilic in front of the Sky cameras as Albion roared into a two-goal first-half lead. Thousands left the London Stadium early and many home fans booed the players throughout the contest as frustrations boiled over into the stands.

The next few league games are not looking too kind for the under-fire Croat, either. Although Slaven Bilic has publicly stated he is not concerned about his position as boss of the Hammers, the upcoming fixtures are certainly not favourable to a West Ham side that can’t stop leaking goals and are finding it difficult to score with regularity at the other end.

At present, West Ham is averaging less than a goal a game at one end and are conceding almost two goals a game at the other — you don’t have to be Alan Hansen to realise that’s a recipe for disaster!

Upcoming clashes with free-scoring Liverpool and Watford will do them no favours, making it important to clear your Draft Fantasy squad of all Hammers defenders and goalkeeper Joe Hart. In fact, BetStars now have West Ham at odds of 7/2 for the drop, which might have shortened considerably after facing Jurgen Klopp’s Reds and Marco Silva’s high-flying Hornets.

Talismanic striker Andy Carroll may be a half-decent value addition to a draft fantasy team, but his reputation and injuries mean that we also encourage you to keep Carroll clear of your starting XI after his latest sending-off in a 1-1 draw at Burnley.

What’s gone wrong for the Hammers in the last 18 months? In truth, it all appears to have spiralled out of control for West Ham and Bilic since the furore surrounding star playmaker Dimitri Payet. The French midfield maestro’s dressing room outburst and insistence on never playing for the club again to force a move back to France left a sour taste in the mouths of both supporters and players alike.

Furthermore, the club’s move from its historic Upton Park Stadium to the former Olympic Stadium in Stratford has resulted in a drastic dip in the atmosphere at home games while teams continue to enjoy visiting and playing on the expansive London Stadium pitch. Until West Ham finds a way to make that place a proper home, they will continue to tread water in the bottom half of the Premier League.

Bilic is as short as 4/6 on the list to be the next Premier League manager to leave his post despite the club’s owners David Sullivan and David Gold reiterating their wish for the Croat to see out his three-year contract at the very least before reviewing the situation in the summer. It could, of course, be too late by then, and West Ham may find themselves playing in a half-empty London Stadium in the championship. In the meantime, given the turmoil surrounding the club at present, it’s probably best to steer clear of West Ham players for your draft fantasy team for the remainder of the season barring a drastic upturn in fortunes.