The manager says West Ham United need to be more clinical to get back to winning ways in Swansea City this weekend
Slaven Bilic says West Ham United need to take advantage of any uncertainty at Swansea City and put an end to their six-match winless Barclays Premier League run.
The Hammers head to South Wales for their final pre-Christmas fixture to face a Swansea side without a permanent manager following the recent departure of boss Garry Monk.
Like West Ham, the Swans go into Sunday’s live Sky TV broadcast without a win in half-a-dozen league games, and Bilic says his team need to pile more pressure on their opponents.
“The keys to beating Swansea? I watched their last five games and they played really good,” he began. “In some of those games, especially at home, they didn’t play the best. In some of them they were unlucky and in some of them they showed really top quality up the front, but they were very open at the back.
“If you watched their game against Man City last weekend, they played really good and they definitely didn’t deserve to be beaten. To be fair, they deserved to win that game according to the number of chances and the way they passed the ball. I was quite impressed.
“We have to be as compact and as good at the back and as patient as them to stop them, and then we have the quality to beat them. Against Stoke, we had the most shots off and on target, so we have to show more quality in the final third and I’m sure we are going to show that in this game.”
Bilic revealed that he is almost certain to be without Andy Carroll on Sunday. So often the scourge of Swansea in previous seasons, the No9 has a minor groin problem and is likely to be held out of the trip to the Liberty Stadium.
“Regarding the Swansea game, there is nothing new so we’re going to be without a few players, but it looks good because all of them doing well with their recovery, especially Lanzini and Payet are doing really good,” the manager explained.
“I think Lanzini should be OK for the Villa game and Dimi is recovering really well. He is training and should be training with us maybe in ten days to two weeks. Also Winston Reid is going to start to run, as is Victor Moses. We know he is back and fit, so it looks really good.
“We have a situation with Andy Carroll in that he is feeling his groin. We’re going to see today but it looks like he’ll be off for the Swansea game, which is a big blow, but that’s it regarding injuries. I think it will be one game only, that’s what the medical team has told me. It’s nothing major.
“We have the choice of Valencia or Jelavic up front. They are quality players, they are good players and they are different players. Maybe the two of them will play together. We still have a couple of good strikers on our roster, even without Sakho and Carroll.”
Bilic will have to make do without six senior players in total this weekend, but he is not making excuses and instead focused on the positive way his squad has reacted to the recent challenges.
“I am really pleased with the way we have coped without our injured players,” he continued. “The bonding, the quality and the character we have showed are positive, of course, so I’m really confident for Sunday’s game.
“If we keep that kind of team spirit when these players start to come back, it’s all very positive, but we have to go through this period of two or three games without them.”
The Hammers head to South Wales for their final pre-Christmas fixture to face a Swansea side without a permanent manager following the recent departure of boss Garry Monk.
Like West Ham, the Swans go into Sunday’s live Sky TV broadcast without a win in half-a-dozen league games, and Bilic says his team need to pile more pressure on their opponents.
“The keys to beating Swansea? I watched their last five games and they played really good,” he began. “In some of those games, especially at home, they didn’t play the best. In some of them they were unlucky and in some of them they showed really top quality up the front, but they were very open at the back.
“If you watched their game against Man City last weekend, they played really good and they definitely didn’t deserve to be beaten. To be fair, they deserved to win that game according to the number of chances and the way they passed the ball. I was quite impressed.
“We have to be as compact and as good at the back and as patient as them to stop them, and then we have the quality to beat them. Against Stoke, we had the most shots off and on target, so we have to show more quality in the final third and I’m sure we are going to show that in this game.”
Bilic revealed that he is almost certain to be without Andy Carroll on Sunday. So often the scourge of Swansea in previous seasons, the No9 has a minor groin problem and is likely to be held out of the trip to the Liberty Stadium.
“Regarding the Swansea game, there is nothing new so we’re going to be without a few players, but it looks good because all of them doing well with their recovery, especially Lanzini and Payet are doing really good,” the manager explained.
“I think Lanzini should be OK for the Villa game and Dimi is recovering really well. He is training and should be training with us maybe in ten days to two weeks. Also Winston Reid is going to start to run, as is Victor Moses. We know he is back and fit, so it looks really good.
“We have a situation with Andy Carroll in that he is feeling his groin. We’re going to see today but it looks like he’ll be off for the Swansea game, which is a big blow, but that’s it regarding injuries. I think it will be one game only, that’s what the medical team has told me. It’s nothing major.
“We have the choice of Valencia or Jelavic up front. They are quality players, they are good players and they are different players. Maybe the two of them will play together. We still have a couple of good strikers on our roster, even without Sakho and Carroll.”
Bilic will have to make do without six senior players in total this weekend, but he is not making excuses and instead focused on the positive way his squad has reacted to the recent challenges.
“I am really pleased with the way we have coped without our injured players,” he continued. “The bonding, the quality and the character we have showed are positive, of course, so I’m really confident for Sunday’s game.
“If we keep that kind of team spirit when these players start to come back, it’s all very positive, but we have to go through this period of two or three games without them.”
Inevitably, Bilic was also asked about the departure of Jose Mourinho from Chelsea – a move his own team helped to bring about by defeating the Blues at the Boleyn Ground in October.
That 2-1 victory was marred by Mourinho himself being sent to the stands by referee Jon Moss, while assistant Silvio Lauro and midfielder Nemanja Matic also received their marching orders before Andy Carroll’s late winner.
“I can only say about Mourinho that I'm definitely surprised,” he exclaimed. “It was the subject of rumours in the press for the last couple of months but I'm still surprised. When you are the best in the business you have many people who would like you to fail.
“Even today, those people are sad because it’s a big loss for the league and the Premier League is going to miss him hugely because he is one of the best in the job. I really hope that it will not happen that he is lost because the Premier League is going to miss him a lot.”
Swansea, of course, are also searching for a new permanent manager following the departure of Monk – a man Bilic described as a ‘Swansea legend’.
“Garry Monk last year, considering he is a Swansea legend, did brilliant so to be out of it after four or five months, 15 or 16 games in, is sad and shocking,” Bilic commented.
“Swansea started the season good, especially the guys up front. They bought Ayew from the same club we bought Dimi, Olympique Marseille, and with Gomis and Montero they were dangerous and they beat Man United when Man United were playing good.
“Then their form dropped off, as happens to teams. You lose a bit of confidence and freedom and then you lose games.
“There are more clubs or teams sacking their managers when situations like this occur, than those who stick with their managers. Ten or 15 years ago you were laughing at Italian clubs sacking their managers every year and now it's happening in the Premier League!”
Kick-off at the Liberty Stadium is at 4pm on Sunday, with the match being broadcast live by Sky Sports 1 in the UK.
That 2-1 victory was marred by Mourinho himself being sent to the stands by referee Jon Moss, while assistant Silvio Lauro and midfielder Nemanja Matic also received their marching orders before Andy Carroll’s late winner.
“I can only say about Mourinho that I'm definitely surprised,” he exclaimed. “It was the subject of rumours in the press for the last couple of months but I'm still surprised. When you are the best in the business you have many people who would like you to fail.
“Even today, those people are sad because it’s a big loss for the league and the Premier League is going to miss him hugely because he is one of the best in the job. I really hope that it will not happen that he is lost because the Premier League is going to miss him a lot.”
Swansea, of course, are also searching for a new permanent manager following the departure of Monk – a man Bilic described as a ‘Swansea legend’.
“Garry Monk last year, considering he is a Swansea legend, did brilliant so to be out of it after four or five months, 15 or 16 games in, is sad and shocking,” Bilic commented.
“Swansea started the season good, especially the guys up front. They bought Ayew from the same club we bought Dimi, Olympique Marseille, and with Gomis and Montero they were dangerous and they beat Man United when Man United were playing good.
“Then their form dropped off, as happens to teams. You lose a bit of confidence and freedom and then you lose games.
“There are more clubs or teams sacking their managers when situations like this occur, than those who stick with their managers. Ten or 15 years ago you were laughing at Italian clubs sacking their managers every year and now it's happening in the Premier League!”
Kick-off at the Liberty Stadium is at 4pm on Sunday, with the match being broadcast live by Sky Sports 1 in the UK.