Slaven Bilic's to-do list for a successful season at West Ham
Thursday 11 June 2015 10:16, UK
After West Ham confirmed the appointment of Slaven Bilic as their new manager, we outline the Croatian's to-do list at Upton Park with the help of former Hammers striker Dean Ashton.
Get the fans on side
Bilic has a big head start in this regard. West Ham fans never warmed to predecessor Sam Allardyce, but Bilic is already a firm favourite in east London having made 54 appearances during a two-year stint at Upton Park as a player.
The club hope Bilic’s appointment will pull the fanbase together after the dischord that dominated Allardyce’s reign, and Ashton believes the former Croatia and Besiktas manager's appointment will lift the mood at West Ham ahead of their move to the Olympic Stadium in 2016.
“I think it’s positive,” he told Sky Sports. “I think he’s going to be a very popular choice with the fans having played with the club. The fact that they are in the Europa League this year means it’s good that they have got a manager who has that European experience too. So it’s positive all round.”
Change the style
Bilic’s passion and charisma is sure to make him popular with the fans, but he will also need to instigate the attacking, attractive style of play that West Ham crave. It has been a long time since the fabled ‘West Ham Way’ was seen at Upton Park, but Ashton believes the importance of entertainment will not be lost on Bilic.
“The fact the fans never really took to Sam and his style of play shows just how important it is at West Ham,” he said. “It’s not just winning games, but how you win, how you entertain and how you attack. I think that’s going to be very important.
“And that’s why I think they have gone for Bilic, who knows the club. In part of his interview he said it’s like a ‘cult’ club, and he’s right. It’s not enough to just win games. They want to see a better brand of football and hopefully he can attract different players as well.”
West Ham impressed in the early months of last season, suggesting they already have the makings of a squad that can get results and entertain, but Bilic must get them playing attractive football on a more consistent basis.
Add Europa League depth
A potentially gruelling Europa League campaign kicks off with a first round qualifier in just three weeks’ time. A number of Premier League clubs have failed to cope with the extra demands of Thursday night trips to distant corners of the continent, and Bilic must ensure West Ham have the strength in depth to handle it.
“You only have to look at the likes of Everton, Tottenham and Swansea in previous years to see just how much they have struggled with playing on a Thursday and then having to play on a Sunday,” said Ashton, who spent three years at West Ham before injury curtailed a promising career in 2009.
“That is going to be difficult and that’s why it’s important that the board back him and get a really deep squad, which they’re going to need this season not only for the Premier League, but to see if they can go as far as possible in the Europa League and hopefully qualify early on.”
The signing of midfielder Pedro Obiang from Sampdoria just 24 hours Bilic’s appointment bodes well, but more early additions should be a priority before the fixtures start piling up.
Add creativity
Ashton also believes West Ham are in urgent need of more creativity from the midfield areas. Opta stats show Stewart Downing created 85 chances last season – the fourth-most among Premier League players – but their next-biggest creator was Mark Noble way down on 45.
“In defensive areas they are OK,” Ashton added. “It’s just the injury problems in central defence have been a really big issue. [Winston] Reid, [James] Tomkins and [James] Collins haven’t had a whole season without injury, so that’s been a real problem.
I think that’s what West Ham have lacked in recent years, that player who can thread a pass and produce a bit of magic.
“But for me, what they need has got to be on the creative midfield side, or a winger to create something for the forwards. I think that’s what West Ham have lacked in recent years, that player who can thread a pass and produce a bit of magic to set the forwards going.”
Co-chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan hoped Argentinian Mauro Zarate would provide that flair when he arrived on a free transfer last summer, but an upgrade is required after he failed to make an impact in east London.
Find a reliable goalscorer
Of course, creating chances is no good if you can’t put them away, which brings us to the next point. Diafra Sakho enjoyed a promising start to his West Ham career with eight goals in his first 10 games, but he only found the net four times in 16 appearances after that.
And Ashton feels the Hammers need to find a more consistent goalscorer. “You want a man up there who is going to almost guarantee you 25 goals a season,” he said. “I know it’s very difficult, but if they can find a player who can consistently be fit and find the back of the net, then that’s going to be vital.”
Injury-plagued record signing Andy Carroll only managed 16 appearances last season and Ashton, who knows the pain of being sidelined, admits the Hammers can no longer count on him. “No offence to Carroll, but you can’t pin your hat on him at the moment with his injury record,” he said.
“It’s not his fault, but at the same time they have to look at the squad and their striking options knowing that Andy might not be fully fit at the start of the season.”
One striker who could fit the bill is Chelsea’s Loic Remy. The Frenchman scored 14 goals in 26 appearances for Newcastle in 2013/14 and last season only three players with five or more starts in the Premier League scored more regularly than his rate of a goal every 120 minutes.
Aim high
“I think to finish in the top half of the Premier League is a must for a club like West Ham now.” That was Ashton’s verdict on what would constitute a successful first season in charge for the Croatian, and Bilic seems to agree.
“The ambition is to try to be top 10 definitely and then improve on that,” he said. “First season, if we can finish eighth, ninth or 10th. Then, in the space of a few seasons, with the stadium and everything, with hype, with probably a little bit more budget, with good planning and good play, nobody can stop us dreaming of European places or if we have a brilliant season to try to break into the Champions League places.”
As Allardyce found out, West Ham are not content with simply avoiding relegation, and Ashton feels Bilic should also be aiming for a successful Europa League run. “They have to be pushing for that top half of the table, and obviously to have a good run in the Europa League if they can.
“It’s great to be in it, it’s a wonderful competition and you can’t beat having European teams come to the Boleyn in the last season it’s going to be there.”
