Slaven Bilic says West Ham United need to start winning to lift the ‘confidence-killing’ pressure that is on the team at present.
The Hammers are without a victory in five Premier League games, but ended a run of four straight defeats with a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough at London Stadium on Saturday, when Dimitri Payet’s individual effort cancelled out Cristhian Stuani’s opener.
However, Bilic’s side still sit in the bottom three and the manager says his players need to establish a virtuous circle of winning games to build confidence, which will in turn lead to more expressive, successful results in future.
“This is different pressure than last season, when we were fighting for Europe,” he explained. “We are not enjoying this pressure and it’s hard to cope with it. You have to get out of this situation because this pressure stops you from expressing yourself in the best-possible way. This pressure is a confidence killer.
“This is a negative pressure and positive pressure is different. This is the one which is hard to cope with, but that’s why we have to get a few points and wins to come out of that pressure and get that burden off our back.
“It’s more or less the same squad, but we have lost some of the players from last year and we have replaced them, and some of them need time to click with the team and to adjust to a new country and new stadium and everything, so it’s not just one thing. If it was just one thing, we would have fixed it.”
Journalists quizzed the manager about the Club’s summer transfer business, suggesting those that arrived have not lifted the overall quality of the squad – a suggestion Bilic himself dismissed, pointing out that those who have arrived from overseas need time to settle into their new environment and get up to speed in the ultra-competitive Premier League.
“All the summer signings are good players and they will come good, at least that’s what we expect them to do,” he insisted. “They came to improve our team and some of them have played really well in some games, but we have to help them also to settle into a new country and new environment as soon as possible.
“We chose those players and they are good players. We didn’t want to change the team a lot, but we lost some players and have players who are still with us but are not available like Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho and Andre Ayew – we have to be patient with them.
“Sakho is still injured and he could be back very, very soon. He is our player and I like him as a player and, depending on how we are doing of course, he could play. He has done the sprints and is working with the ball and hopefully he’s going to join us quite soon.
“Aaron Cresswell is starting to train with us on Monday and then during the international break we might have Carroll start to train with us,”
The Hammers are without a victory in five Premier League games, but ended a run of four straight defeats with a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough at London Stadium on Saturday, when Dimitri Payet’s individual effort cancelled out Cristhian Stuani’s opener.
However, Bilic’s side still sit in the bottom three and the manager says his players need to establish a virtuous circle of winning games to build confidence, which will in turn lead to more expressive, successful results in future.
“This is different pressure than last season, when we were fighting for Europe,” he explained. “We are not enjoying this pressure and it’s hard to cope with it. You have to get out of this situation because this pressure stops you from expressing yourself in the best-possible way. This pressure is a confidence killer.
“This is a negative pressure and positive pressure is different. This is the one which is hard to cope with, but that’s why we have to get a few points and wins to come out of that pressure and get that burden off our back.
“It’s more or less the same squad, but we have lost some of the players from last year and we have replaced them, and some of them need time to click with the team and to adjust to a new country and new stadium and everything, so it’s not just one thing. If it was just one thing, we would have fixed it.”
Journalists quizzed the manager about the Club’s summer transfer business, suggesting those that arrived have not lifted the overall quality of the squad – a suggestion Bilic himself dismissed, pointing out that those who have arrived from overseas need time to settle into their new environment and get up to speed in the ultra-competitive Premier League.
“All the summer signings are good players and they will come good, at least that’s what we expect them to do,” he insisted. “They came to improve our team and some of them have played really well in some games, but we have to help them also to settle into a new country and new environment as soon as possible.
“We chose those players and they are good players. We didn’t want to change the team a lot, but we lost some players and have players who are still with us but are not available like Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho and Andre Ayew – we have to be patient with them.
“Sakho is still injured and he could be back very, very soon. He is our player and I like him as a player and, depending on how we are doing of course, he could play. He has done the sprints and is working with the ball and hopefully he’s going to join us quite soon.
“Aaron Cresswell is starting to train with us on Monday and then during the international break we might have Carroll start to train with us,”
This is a negative pressure and positive pressure is different. This is the one which is hard to cope with, but that’s why we have to get a few points and wins to come out of that pressure and get that burden off our back
Slaven Bilic
With Carroll and Sakho edging closer to returning to action, followed by Ayew, Bilic’s attacking options will be increased.
On Saturday, he started with Michail Antonio in the centre forward position – a decision he said was vindicated by the top-scorer’s energetic first-half display, which helped to create a number of chances for the Hammers.
“We were not totally happy with the way our strikers had done in the last few games and we were missing that presence and quality up front, so that’s why we opted for Antonio to play there. Of course he has played there in his career and he is capable of doing that. He has played as a striker and with his pace and energy we expected him to cause them problems, which is what he did really well in the first half.
“In the second half we wanted to maintain that kind of energy, but to do it on the wing, so we put Zaza up front to add quality without losing what Antonio was doing.”
While happy with Antonio’s contribution, Bilic is demanding more from his team in the final third.
Of 19 goal attempts against Boro, just two were on target – Payet’s goal and a long-range effort from Antonio that was comfortably saved by Victor Valdes – and the manager knows his side need to be more efficient in front of goal if they are to start winning on a regular basis.
“We are not a one-player team, but the others have to take their lead from Dimi,” he concluded. “I was pleased with our work-rate, but that’s a minimum, as we have to step up our quality in the last third of the pitch. It doesn’t have to be a wonder goal like Dimi’s, but it has to be more.”
On Saturday, he started with Michail Antonio in the centre forward position – a decision he said was vindicated by the top-scorer’s energetic first-half display, which helped to create a number of chances for the Hammers.
“We were not totally happy with the way our strikers had done in the last few games and we were missing that presence and quality up front, so that’s why we opted for Antonio to play there. Of course he has played there in his career and he is capable of doing that. He has played as a striker and with his pace and energy we expected him to cause them problems, which is what he did really well in the first half.
“In the second half we wanted to maintain that kind of energy, but to do it on the wing, so we put Zaza up front to add quality without losing what Antonio was doing.”
While happy with Antonio’s contribution, Bilic is demanding more from his team in the final third.
Of 19 goal attempts against Boro, just two were on target – Payet’s goal and a long-range effort from Antonio that was comfortably saved by Victor Valdes – and the manager knows his side need to be more efficient in front of goal if they are to start winning on a regular basis.
“We are not a one-player team, but the others have to take their lead from Dimi,” he concluded. “I was pleased with our work-rate, but that’s a minimum, as we have to step up our quality in the last third of the pitch. It doesn’t have to be a wonder goal like Dimi’s, but it has to be more.”