WEST HAM MANAGER Slaven Bilic says he gave his players permission to have a team night out just days after their fifth defeat of the Premier League season.
The club are currently investigating an incident involving Ireland goalkeeper Darren Randolph and Andy Carroll after a photo of the pair, allegedly drunk, surfaced on social media.
After attending the team bonding night out, which was sanctioned by Bilic, the two players were allegedly spotted in London on Tuesday afternoon wearing the same clothes.
But Bilic has defended his decision to allow his players a night off despite the Hammers enduring a difficult start to the campaign.
“It was completely my idea,” he said at his press conference this morning.
“After the Southampton game we had a big meeting and spoke and at the end of the meeting I told Mark [Noble] the skipper to take the guys out to dinner, to spend time together which is always good.
“I’ve been there before, it’s definitely a good idea and good to do it. If you are asking, it was completely my idea and I told them to do that.
“For me it’s a good thing, not every week but in a great situation or a bad situation it’s good to stick together and its a good thing to do. It’s good for team building and that’s it.
“After that night we had a day off. Training yesterday was really good, but training last week was really good without bonding. I have been saying we now have to produce it in games.”
As part of the investigation, Bilic has spoken to both Randolph and Carroll and has asked the club’s hierarchy to refrain from handing out any punishment, if any, until after the weekend’s game against Middlesbrough.
“It was suggested but it’s not proven,” he added, when asked about the prospect of the pair being disciplined.
“I told you. It was my idea. We have a game and we ain’t going to discuss it. We are always discussing it to solve problems in our family, within the club. There are rumours, I am aware of them, I spoke to the chairman about it and he agreed we should focus on the game.
“We are going to talk about it, find out what happened but now it’s not proven, it’s rumours. We will talk and if necessary act on it. That’s all I’m going to say on it.”
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