Slaven Bilic celebrated an emotional Farewell Boleyn victory over Tottenham Hotspur by receiving a kiss from Russell Brand!
Slaven Bilic celebrated an emotional Farewell Boleyn victory over Tottenham Hotspur by receiving a kiss from celebrity Hammers fan Russell Brand.
Comedian and broadcaster Brand, who served as guest reporter for West Ham TV following West Ham United’s 1-0 Barclays Premier League win, planted a smacker on the smiling manager’s cheek to complete a memorable night under the lights.
The winning goal came after just seven minutes from the in-form Michail Antonio, who scored with a thumping header from Dimitri Payet’s corner to net for a fourth home game in succession.
“It feels great and you know better than me that if you have to take one game in a season as being more special than the others, it is home against Spurs, of course,” said Bilic, who won the tactical battle by using an unfamiliar 3-5-2 formation to nullify Tottenham’s rampaging full-backs.
“To do it against a Spurs who are doing very well this season and who have conceded the least goals and scored the most goals, blah, blah, blah and to do it in style means they should be happy with the result, not us.
“We were fantastic. It was maybe the best performance so far. In every aspect it was the perfect game. From the first whistle we were on the front foot and dominating and on our front foot.
“The goal helped, but we didn’t stop. It was great. In every aspect we over-ran them. We were better technically, tactically and we got to every second ball and all that.”
Brand asked Bilic if he believes West Ham can qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League after his side closed the gap on fourth-placed Manchester City to a single point.
The manager says that, while a top-four finish is not beyond the realms of possibility, he does not want expectations to get so high that they start affecting performances and results in the final ten Barclays Premier League fixtures.
“I hope we can aim for Champions League in the future, and long-term I don’t have a problem saying it should be part of the plan, what with moving to the new Stadium and with all the revenue and the fans and the size of the Club,” said the gaffer.
“This season it’s not realistic but there’s nothing wrong with dreaming about it or trying to achieve it!
“We are not approaching the remainder of the season thinking we’re aiming to quality for the Champions League. On the contrary, we’re down on the Earth and concentrating on facing Everton on Saturday.”
Comedian and broadcaster Brand, who served as guest reporter for West Ham TV following West Ham United’s 1-0 Barclays Premier League win, planted a smacker on the smiling manager’s cheek to complete a memorable night under the lights.
The winning goal came after just seven minutes from the in-form Michail Antonio, who scored with a thumping header from Dimitri Payet’s corner to net for a fourth home game in succession.
“It feels great and you know better than me that if you have to take one game in a season as being more special than the others, it is home against Spurs, of course,” said Bilic, who won the tactical battle by using an unfamiliar 3-5-2 formation to nullify Tottenham’s rampaging full-backs.
“To do it against a Spurs who are doing very well this season and who have conceded the least goals and scored the most goals, blah, blah, blah and to do it in style means they should be happy with the result, not us.
“We were fantastic. It was maybe the best performance so far. In every aspect it was the perfect game. From the first whistle we were on the front foot and dominating and on our front foot.
“The goal helped, but we didn’t stop. It was great. In every aspect we over-ran them. We were better technically, tactically and we got to every second ball and all that.”
Brand asked Bilic if he believes West Ham can qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League after his side closed the gap on fourth-placed Manchester City to a single point.
The manager says that, while a top-four finish is not beyond the realms of possibility, he does not want expectations to get so high that they start affecting performances and results in the final ten Barclays Premier League fixtures.
“I hope we can aim for Champions League in the future, and long-term I don’t have a problem saying it should be part of the plan, what with moving to the new Stadium and with all the revenue and the fans and the size of the Club,” said the gaffer.
“This season it’s not realistic but there’s nothing wrong with dreaming about it or trying to achieve it!
“We are not approaching the remainder of the season thinking we’re aiming to quality for the Champions League. On the contrary, we’re down on the Earth and concentrating on facing Everton on Saturday.”