Slaven Bilic is looking forward to seeing some of his new signings in action when West Ham United head for Southend United on Saturday
Slaven Bilic is looking forward to seeing some of his new signings in action when West Ham United head for the seaside on Saturday.
The Hammers travel to newly-promoted League One side Southend United, with Angelo Ogbonna and Dimitri Payet both set to make their first appearances in Claret and Blue.
With fellow summer arrivals Darren Randolph and Stephen Hendrie in the squad alongside Diafra Sakho, Cheikhou Kouyate, James Collins and Diego Poyet, there will be plenty of first-team players on show at Roots Hall.
With around 1,500 West Ham fans set to travel down the A127 and A13, Bilic is excited about seeing what his team can do against Phil Brown’s Shrimpers.
“We have a few games coming up and of course we have many games overall because we didn’t know we were going to be participating in the UEFA Europa League,” the manager explained.
“It’s still a little bit messy but we will be a bit cautious. The guys who played on Thursday, especially those who played 90 minutes, will not participate on Saturday.
“Of course our main concern is our game against Birkirkara in Malta and whether I field the same team again or make changes I am not saying. It is a competitive game.”
Reflecting further on Thursday’s narrow 1-0 win over Birkirkara, Bilic said the tie was never likely to be a walkover.
Having suffered a Europa League Play-Off round first-leg defeat by Norwegian side Tromso while in charge of Turkish club Besiktas before turning the game around in the second leg, the manager knows the perils of European football early in the season.
“These games can finish five or six-nil, but it’s difficult. They can if you get a couple of early goals and have a bit of luck. If you noticed, we scored in the final minute and they lost their motivation a little bit, so if we had scored ten or 15 minutes before or in the first half it would have changed a little bit.
“On the other hand, as long as the opponent has a result to cling onto, they are gaining strength and that’s what happened on Thursday.”
Tickets for Saturday’s trip to Southend United will be available through cash turnstiles at Roots Hall, priced at £12 Adults and £6 for Over-60s and Under-21s.
The Hammers travel to newly-promoted League One side Southend United, with Angelo Ogbonna and Dimitri Payet both set to make their first appearances in Claret and Blue.
With fellow summer arrivals Darren Randolph and Stephen Hendrie in the squad alongside Diafra Sakho, Cheikhou Kouyate, James Collins and Diego Poyet, there will be plenty of first-team players on show at Roots Hall.
With around 1,500 West Ham fans set to travel down the A127 and A13, Bilic is excited about seeing what his team can do against Phil Brown’s Shrimpers.
“We have a few games coming up and of course we have many games overall because we didn’t know we were going to be participating in the UEFA Europa League,” the manager explained.
“It’s still a little bit messy but we will be a bit cautious. The guys who played on Thursday, especially those who played 90 minutes, will not participate on Saturday.
“Of course our main concern is our game against Birkirkara in Malta and whether I field the same team again or make changes I am not saying. It is a competitive game.”
Reflecting further on Thursday’s narrow 1-0 win over Birkirkara, Bilic said the tie was never likely to be a walkover.
Having suffered a Europa League Play-Off round first-leg defeat by Norwegian side Tromso while in charge of Turkish club Besiktas before turning the game around in the second leg, the manager knows the perils of European football early in the season.
“These games can finish five or six-nil, but it’s difficult. They can if you get a couple of early goals and have a bit of luck. If you noticed, we scored in the final minute and they lost their motivation a little bit, so if we had scored ten or 15 minutes before or in the first half it would have changed a little bit.
“On the other hand, as long as the opponent has a result to cling onto, they are gaining strength and that’s what happened on Thursday.”
Tickets for Saturday’s trip to Southend United will be available through cash turnstiles at Roots Hall, priced at £12 Adults and £6 for Over-60s and Under-21s.