- Slaven Bilic says his staff and family have helped him turn things around at West Ham United
- Hammers have picked up seven points in their last three Premier League matches
- Manager also delighted that Reece Oxford has pledged his future to the Club
Slaven Bilic says his staff and family have helped him turn West Ham United’s season in a positive direction.
The Hammers were struggling inside the Premier League’s bottom three less than a fortnight ago, before a run of seven points from three matches saw them rise five places and five points above the relegation zone.
Bilic had found himself under external pressure for the first time in his east London reign, but he says a combination of his own self-belief and the support of those closest to him have helped him set West Ham up for a happy Christmas and prosperous New Year.
“I didn’t predict this situation, me and my staff, but this was an option, unfortunately,” he told West Ham TV. “I am always optimistic and everything and you look positive and all that, but this is the Premier League and this is not the first time it has happened to a club. Every year a few clubs are in this kind of situation.
“That’s why we were ready for it and we tried to stop it and hopefully now we are stopping it and we are going to move up the table, but it’s not a shock.
“How am I feeling personally? I don’t know, because I’m under pressure the whole of my life. OK, it’s a different pressure as a manager to when you are a player, but I don’t feel it in a negative way and I can cope with it, not easily, but totally in the zone and totally stable.
“Why? Because I feel I am a strong character. More than that, you can’t do it by yourself and if you have a good staff and a good and stable situation at home with your family, kids, relatives and all that, then it’s much easier to cope with it.”
West Ham travel to 19th-place Swansea City on Boxing Day – Tickets are still available to purchase here for our trip to Liberty Stadium – before heading to 15th-place Leicester City on New Year’s Eve.
The New Year kicks-off with the mouth-watering visit of Manchester United to London Stadium on Monday 2 January 2017.