Bilic insists he can thrive under pressure

Under-fire West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic said he will fight to keep his job and that the speculation about his future has only strengthened his resolve. The 49-year-old Croatian has been given two games to save his job, according to the British media, after a disappointing start to the season which reached a new low with a dire display in a 3-0 home defeat by Brighton and Hove Albion last Friday. Bilic, who has guided his side to just five wins in their last 20 matches, has today’s trip to rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the last 16 of the League Cup and Saturday’s clash at bottom side Crystal Palace to turn it around.“You ask me about (Ronald) Koeman (sacked by Everton on Monday), there are always three, four, five managers in those positions and I’m definitely one of them,” Bilic said.  “Does it make me lose my focus? No, it gives you even more. I never gave up in my career, no matter in which way of life, as a parent, as a friend, as a manager. That’s my biggest strength, to be strong in hard times. Now I’m having a hard time, yes I am. That doesn’t scare me.”Should Bilic lose his job he would become the fourth Premier League managerial casualty of the season, joining Crystal Palace’s Frank de Boer — sacked after just four matches — Craig Shakespeare, let go by Leicester City last week, and Koeman.Russia increases World Cup budget by $600 millionRussia has increased the budget for the 2018 World Cup by 34.5bn roubles ($600mn) according to a decree published on the government’s official site yesterday. The decree says that the overall cost for the preparations for the tournament will rise by 5.4% — from 643.5bn roubles to 678bn rubles. Russia’s federal budget will allocate 390bn roubles, while 91.9bn roubles will come from the regional budget. The rest will come from companies and sponsors named as “legal entities” in the decree.  Russia already increased the World Cup budget in May by 4.7bn roubles after slashing it by 30bn roubles in June 2015 in the wake of the economic crisis. The competition will be played in 12 stadiums from June 14 to July 15 next year.Leicester decide against CAS appeal in Silva sagaThe long-running saga over Portugal midfielder Adrien Silva’s move to Leicester City took another twist yesterday with the English club deciding not to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Leicester have been battling to get the 28-year-old Euro 2016 winner’s £22mn ($29mn) deadline-day move from Sporting Lisbon registered after it was submitted just 14 seconds late, but had their appeal rejected by FIFA earlier this month.Yesterday, they blamed world football’s governing body for their decision not to pursue the case with CAS which effectively means Silva will have to wait until January to play for them. The club added they would support France-born Silva — who remains with them and is training with the squad — if he decided to go alone to CAS.Malaysia, North Korea to play in ThailandMalaysia and North Korea will play their delayed Asian Cup qualifiers in Thailand next month, football officials said, after the matches were postponed over a diplomatic row and nuclear tensions. The Asian Football Confederation said it had chosen Thailand as the neutral venue for the games on November 10 and 13, at a stadium which is yet to be confirmed.The first leg was originally scheduled for March 28 in Pyongyang, but it was postponed twice after the murder of the North Korean leader’s half-brother in Malaysia in February sent tensions soaring. The game was finally due to go ahead earlier this month in Pyongyang but was delayed again after Kuala Lumpur banned travel to North Korea as global alarm grew at the regime’s weapons programme. Kim’s assassination sparked a diplomatic crisis which saw both countries banning each other’s citizens from leaving, and withdrawing their ambassadors. Tensions have since eased.Benevento fire coach Baroni after losing first nine matchesBenevento have fired coach Marco Baroni after becoming the first team in Serie A history to lose their first nine matches of the season. The club announced that 54-year-old Baroni, who led them out of Serie B last season and into the top flight for the first time, would be replaced by Roberto De Zerbi.  Benevento set their unwanted record by losing 3-0 at home to Fiorentina on Sunday. They have scored only two goals in their nine games and conceded 22. De Zerbi, 38, had two seasons in charge of Foggia, narrowly missing out on promotion. His only previous experience of coaching in Serie A was a three-month spell at Palermo last season. Benevento are the second club this season to change coach after Cagliari — who they visit in their next league match today.‘Magic’ penalty leaves Thai goalie in despairA Thai goalkeeper was left red-faced after sprinting from his goaline to celebrate a penalty hitting the crossbar in a shoot-out — only to watch the ball spectacularly spin back into the empty net. The U-18s cup match (October 21) between Bangkok Sports Club and Satri Angthong had finished 2-2 in normal time, prompting an epic shootout that ended 20-19.The bizarre penalty came early on, throwing Bangkok a lifeline in a shootout that Bangkok Sports Club had been on the verge of losing. One of their players stepped up to take the third penalty knowing a miss would see his team dumped from the tournament. He struck the ball hard onto the crossbar, sending his opposite number dashing from his line in jubilation. But in comical scenes, Satri’s keeper turned to see the ball bounce near the penalty spot and spin back towards the unguarded net. He scrambled back as the ball crossed the goal line, sending him to his knees in despair. A video of the bizarre penalty has been viewed more than two million times on Facebook.