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CanningTownWA 11:05 Wed Jan 6
Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

Good read from The Guardian, I have not seen it posted here

The Premier League largely reverted to the norm in the first weekend of the New Year. Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea all won, with Leicester City, Watford and Crystal Palace – the three real surprise packages of the campaign so far – failing to pick up three points. However, there was one “upset”.

After a string of draws, West Ham have somewhat slipped under the radar after a remarkable start under Slaven Bilic. They’ve enjoyed a peculiar yet hugely successful season in the league, clinging on to their hopes of European football relatively unnoticed. Their win over Liverpool on Saturday was their second successive victory and took them above their opponents and Palace, as well as moving them three points clear of Watford and Stoke City.

It looked like injuries to key players would derail their aspirations of a top-six finish but the fact that they are back in the race for Europe despite those absences is very impressive. Knowing that his side would lack the cutting edge they showed at the start of the season in the absence of Diafra Sakho, Manuel Lanzini and crucially Dimitri Payet, Bilic set about ensuring his side kept in the hunt by avoiding defeat.

They, along with Palace, were one of only two teams to go unbeaten throughout December, doing so with a thoroughly depleted squad. They have conceded just twice in their last six matches, despite the absence of Winston Reid at the back, with James Collins in particular coming to the fore. Bilic’s decision to deploy a third centre-back in James Tomkins on the right of a back four, in place of Carl Jenkinson, further strengthened West Ham’s resolve and deserves recognition.

While another injury lay-off for the impressive Lanzini is a blow, Payet’s return will improve their fortunes in attack. The Frenchman has excelled in the capital, earning the highest rating of any summer signing (7.59), enough to rank seventh in the league. Payet, who came on as a second-half substitute at the weekend, showed glimpses of class, eluding three Liverpool players with magnificent skill as the game drew to a close and creating two chances from just 12 touches. His ability to impact a game at any moment has really pushed West Ham on to become genuine European contenders.

However, while the foreign imports to the club have impressed, the old guard deserve great credit for steadying the ship in their absence. The aforementioned Collins is West Ham’s highest rated player since the start of December (7.59) – enough to rank eighth in the league during that time. He dominated the ineffective Christian Benteke at the weekend, making a total of 23 clearances – the most by any player in a single game this season.

Andy Carroll scored in back-to-back league matches for the first time in almost two years following his return from injury, with his rating of 8.77 bettered only by team-mate Mark Noble (9.22) in the Premier League at the weekend. Many felt that Noble’s days at his boyhood club may be numbered following the arrivals of Alex Song and Pedro Obiang but the 28-year-old captain has missed just one game all season, when he was suspended for picking up a red card in their 3-0 defeat of Liverpool at Anfield back in August.


Andy Carroll comes good but Slaven Bilic warns him now is time to deliver
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Bilic has found a successful balance between the new arrivals and the players who have served the club for years. He has maintained a happy camp, with the likes of Collins, Tomkins and Carroll determined to give their all when they have returned to the team. That much is easier said than done. Indeed, their Croatian manager has rotated his squad to such a degree – though enforced in a number of instances – that only Manchester United (28) have used more players than West Ham (26) this season.

Impressive recruitment coupled with man-management and tactical nous from Bilic have left West Ham with just four defeats all season – with the last of those coming back in November. They are one of a few sides in the league who are not only hard to beat but also possess genuine flair. Hosting European football at the Olympic Stadium next season is still a distinct possibility. Their previous aim of ensuring they kept hold of their top-flight status for the big move seems a long way off.

East Auckland Hammer 10:36 Thu Jan 7
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

cholo 10:30 Thu Jan 7

Would have been hard work listening to Carragher, even though he was saying something positive about us?

Eerie Descent 10:33 Thu Jan 7
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

Yep, fair play to the lock jawed cunt.

cholo 10:30 Thu Jan 7
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

Carragher backed us, tried explain to Souness that fans go to football to be entertained but the bitter jock had no idea what he was on about.

eusebiovic 10:18 Thu Jan 7
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

I seem to remember Savage backing us up as did Colin Murray and the two old boys after him...Hawksbee and Jacobs...They had the only listenable show on Talkshite until the Irishman showed up...

Eerie Descent 10:13 Thu Jan 7
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

I'm trying to think of any pundit who back us with it. Savage, I think?

eusebiovic 10:07 Thu Jan 7
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

Eerie

Yep, forgot about him

Eerie Descent 10:03 Thu Jan 7
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

Add Danny Murphy to that list. Seems to get an easy ride on here, for whatever reason.

eusebiovic 10:00 Thu Jan 7
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

"Be careful what you wish for" nudge, nudge, wink, wink

(C) Copyright

Alan Brazil
Andy Gray
Richard *Sasquatch" Keys
Gary Lineker
Alan Shearer

Etc

Eerie Descent 9:36 Thu Jan 7
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

Sir Alf, you was having absolute kittens a few weeks ago, wondering where the next win was coming from? You weren't the only one, and the absolutely fucking pathetic caving in by fuck knows how many flannels on here after the pre-season games was an embarrassment.

Anyway, I was all over Bilic years ago, had too many debates with Benitez lovers on here to mention them all, but special mention to Spandex, who I'm sure will remember our debates.

I'm fucking loving West Ham at the minute, I expect there will be another little period of bad games again, as we are nowhere near the finished article, and that is no surprise, given the manager has had 1 transfer window so far.

jack flash 11:46 Thu Jan 7
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

PD 2:58 Agreed
Also we're still on a bit of a learning curve. The terrific signings made in the summer have been assimilated into the side, some of the possible combinations even now are yet to be tried & tested. Song, for example is only recently available & Carroll only played a handful of games

We might not yet have had our strongest side out yet!

East Auckland Hammer 11:27 Thu Jan 7
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

Good article.

Have to agree with jack flash. I was a little bit blinded by Bielsa, Benitez and Klopp and what might happen, but Bilic has been exactly the right appointment.

Talk about giving the people what the people want - hard to beat AND hard to stop. And not a bruising, physical, pragmatic side either, although we have been in patches when required. We just look so dangerous going forward. It's a joy to behold.

Russ of the BML 9:57 Thu Jan 7
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

Private Dancer 2:58 Thu Jan 7

Spot on.

Private Dancer 2:58 Thu Jan 7
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

El - Good perspective. We could easily have another 5 or 6 points.

I'm not and was never too pissed with the Bournemouth and Leicester defeats, as Bilic was trying to work out how to play at home, the fact that we haven't lost since probably backs that up.

WBA and Stoke at home were disappointing, but the PLhas been full of those type of results this season, we are by no means the only side who have drew a couple at home that they should have won.

Agree that Villa and Swansea were disappointing, but those games were at the height of our injury crisis, also believe that we would have nicked one of them had Carroll been playing instead of Jelavic. And Watford away, if not fot that ridiculous fuck up by Carroll we would have gone in at HT 0-0 made changes and the result may have well been very different.

Cest la vie.

Mad Dog 8:01 Wed Jan 6
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

Scorch. West Brom, Swansea and villa were with very makeshift teams

Lertie Button 7:46 Wed Jan 6
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

Pleased so far but got to keep it going, hated the way we fizzled out under the fat man & Curbishley.

El Scorchio 7:21 Wed Jan 6
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

To be fair, we have had some disappointing results and performances, but the huge positives have far outweighed those thus far.

Home to Leicester, Bournemouth and West Brom, and away to Swansea and Villa really were not good enough, but more than made up for by the more high profile results. I suppose the bar had been set pretty bloody high at a very early stage!

Definitely room for improvement though.

Sir Alf 7:15 Wed Jan 6
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

So far so good for Slav.
It would seem we could not have expected any better than he has delivered to date.

But he will have a period where form dips. He navigated the injury crisis well but there could come a time when the team and star players suffer a lack of confidence or results are disappointing. We have yet to see that and how Bilic reacts under that pressure.

Evidence to date suggests he will find a way through it and perhaps it will never even happen :-)

In summary, half term report is that he has been excellent but it will take a couple of seasons to know if he is teh "legend" we all hope for and the man to guide us to glory and trophies for the first time in the Premiership.

B6NY B 6:01 Wed Jan 6
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

Fucking love stuff like this. SMUG is the right word.

No Seamouse, Farts, NSD or any other negative 'can't wait for us to lose' people on this thread too.

GREAT STUFF

Texas Iron 5:57 Wed Jan 6
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

Why didn't you say so ...you thick cunt...

Russ of the BML 5:48 Wed Jan 6
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

Texas Iron 3:17 Wed Jan 6

I know that you retard. It was sarcastic.

Stubbo 5:29 Wed Jan 6
Re: Slaven Bilic deserves praise for turning West Ham into a hard-to-beat flair team

Klopp certainly seems to be struggling to make muchbof an impact at Liverpool.

Most worrying for him should be the players dont seem to be 100% buying into what he is doing...can't say I noticed any real change between them in the last game to the first game.

Bilic on the other hand has worked wonders. He is clearly setting high expectations of himself and the squad...thebexact opposite of the last manager who made out every game we'd be lucky to get something from and that we should be gratefull whenever we didn't get thumped.

The squad have evidently responded and are going into games confident and expecting to stuck one on the oppo. Long may it continue, and long may we stay under the radar.

I'm not remotely interested in these fawning sycophants they wheel out on TV and in the Media doing a fickle about face and starting to get all gooey eyed over us. Fuck them. The West Ham way for me is about punching above our perceived weight, doing it with style and sticking it up the supposed higher echelons. Essentially, "same old West Ham, taking the piss!". Long may Bilic give us the ammunition.

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