Sunday 15 October 2017 13:28, UK
Slaven Bilic admits record-signing Marko Arnautovic has made a "slow start" to his West Ham career.
Arnautovic arrived from Stoke in the summer for a fee worth up to £25m but the Austrian forward has yet to make a significant impact.
He was sent off in his second appearance, for a dangerous elbow on Southampton's Jack Stephens, missed the next three games through suspension, and then sat out the win over Swansea with illness.
Saturday's trip to Burnley saw Arnautovic restored to the starting XI but he was taken off at half-time because the Hammers needed to reorganise following Andy Carroll's sending off.
Two months on from Arnautovic's debut, Bilic accepted that West Ham fans have still to see the best of the former Werder Bremen forward.
"Yes, he has made a slow start," said Bilic.
"But that is because he got suspended for three games and then he missed the last game, because of the flu he got.
"His slow start is because of his mistake.
"This [substitution] was just tactical. He didn't go out because of a bad performance, he was taken off because my staff and I decided we needed an extra man in midfield.
"I think it was a good decision."
The encouraging second-half display of his replacement, Pedro Obiang, and the presence of fit-again Manuel Lanzini, could mean Arnautovic has a fight on his hands if he is to retain his starting place.
Andre Ayew and Diafra Sakho were both unused substitutes in the 1-1 draw at at Turf Moor, giving Bilic decisions to make in the coming weeks,
"It is difficult but it happens to most clubs in the moment they have all their players," said the manager.
"Not every team is in the position of Crystal Palace, all the strikers injured or out.
"You have a squad with numbers, because very rarely are you in a position to choose from your whole squad."
