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West Ham's summer signings will find form, says Slaven Bilic

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Slaven Bilic says he can’t fault the commitment of the players, even though they weren’t good enough against Arsenal

Slaven Bilic is confident West Ham's summer signings will find their form after failing to impress in the early stages of the season.

West Ham currently sit one point above the relegation zone and could drop into the Premier League's bottom three before they head to Liverpool on Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1 HD.

Some of West Ham's new players have been criticised for their poor starts in England, with Simone Zaza failing to find the net in 11 appearances since joining from Juventus on loan.

Meanwhile, Sofiane Feghouli suffered a hamstring injury after arriving on a free transfer from Valencia, and is yet to score in the league upon his return to full fitness.

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Bilic insisted his latest recruits - which also includes Alvaro Arbeloa and Havard Nordtveit - have the quality to compete in the top-tier.

"With some of the new players, we can say they didn't hit the ground running straight away or they are not showing what we wanted or why we bought them in the first place," Bilic told Sky Sports.

"But they came to a new league, this is the Premier League, I'm not saying it's better but it's definitely different to the leagues they were in before.

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"Most of them were hit by injuries when they signed for us, which is another reason why that period is longer than we thought it was going to be.

"They [new signings] are good enough. At the end of the day you are questioning and judging the performances of the players on the pitch in whatever role they play, but they are good players. I'm sure it's about time for some of them to hit form."

BIlic refused to point the finger at any player specifically, but admitted his frustration that injuries to key players has hampered their progress after such an impressive 2015/16 campaign which saw them finish seventh.

Manchester United's Argentinian defender Marcos Rojo (R) tackles West Ham United's Senegalese striker Diafra Sakho (L) during the English Premier League fo
Image: West Ham United's Senegalese striker Diafra Sakho (L) is out until the New Year with a hamstring injury

Striker Diafra Sakho remains out until the New Year with a hamstring injury, while Michail Antonio has missed three matches with a groin strain after scoring six goals in 13 leagues games.

"I took responsibility on myself, I didn't blame anyone, I said it's my responsibility. Why I said it is mainly because of the injuries," Bilic added.

"Basically it stopped some very important players for us, and right from the beginning of the season. Whether it's short-term injuries or long-term, they can't get a rhythm in training.

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West Ham 1-5 Arsenal

"They come back to training two or three days before a game and in that time you can't push them really hard because there's a game ahead."

West Ham have struggled in front of goal this season and have been linked with a move for Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge in January.

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge celebrates after scoring their second goal
Image: West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says he will be interested in signing striker Daniel Sturridge from Liverpool

Bilic revealed he would be interested in signing the England international if he were to become available, but the West Ham boss also believes the current squad can turn their form around.

"We are looking for some positions and maybe we are going to get someone, but I believe in this team," Bilic added.

"I know that within this team we have enough quality to turn things around."

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