Daily WHUFC News - 13th October 2017

Bilic: False rumours, attacking options and brave Burnley
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic sat down with the media on Thursday afternoon to give a typically insightful press conference. The West Ham United boss was asked for his opinion on a host of subjects by broadcasters, including his attacking options for the Premier League trip to Burnley, rumours surrounding Chicharito's future and Andy Carroll's impact on his team. He also paid his respects to the fast start made by Saturday's opponents and tipped Clarets boss Sean Dyche to become a future England manager…

Headache? What headache?

When it was suggested that Bilic may suffer from a selection headache when it comes to picking his team for Saturday's game, the manager said he would not be reaching for the painkillers. Rather, the Croatian welcomed the strength in depth he will draw upon at Turf Moor, where he will have a full complement of attacking players available to him. Andy Carroll, Chicharito and Diafra Sakho are all vying for a centre forward position, while Michail Antonio, Manuel Lanzini, Marko Arnautovic, Andre Ayew and Sead Haksabanovic are all in contention for attacking midfield roles. "It's not a headache. OK, it's another issue to use them all or to keep them all happy but if you're talking about in the long term, it's always an issue. But it's good finally to be in the position where we have, in those attacking and offensive midfield positions, your whole team. "I said to my staff that I'm not saying they're all going to play, because that's impossible, but this is the first time that basically we have the possibility to put out the team we were thinking about in the pre-season that is, on paper, our strongest team. "We're going to probably be in the situation to have that option."

Chicharito rumours simply 'not true'

Having revealed that Chicharito would only be returning from international duty on Thursday, Bilic confirmed that, barring any unforeseen issues, the Mexican would be in the squad which travels to the North West on Friday afternoon. He also dismissed tabloid speculation that the No17 is eager to leave London for Spanish football, echoing the striker's own social media post. "He said it's completely out of nowhere, it's not true and there's not one per cent of the truth in that and that's what I expected and so it's all like somebody made it up."

'Brave Burnley deserve their hot start'

While the two Manchester clubs and Tottenham Hotspur set the pace at the top of the Premier League, you do not have to scan too far down the table to find Burnley. The Clarets have lost just one of their opening seven top-flight matches and sit seventh going into their weekend clash with West Ham. When asked what he admires about Burnley, Bilic gave a typically detailed and studious response. "Burnley are doing extremely well home and away. Last year they were a little bit too cautious, within reason, because they were promoted and then they were relegated the year after and it wasn't ages ago. "Last year they were a bit cautious, as I said, and playing a little bit more on reaction than action, but they have changed it. They are still very solid and, when needed, very direct, but you can see them play and being more brave with the ball and on the ball. "They kept the core of the team but added some more players and if you compare the team from the first game of last season with this, they have five new players or whatever, which is a lot. "They have been on a good run and have confidence and they deserve to be where they are."
Does their start surprise me? Yes, it did, of course, especially their away form because last year I think they waited until March or whenever to beat Palace away and get that first away win. "Now, if you don't mention it's them and ask 'Which team has beat Chelsea and Everton and drew against Spurs and Liverpool?', you would say Manchester United or Manchester City and not Burnley or West Ham. "It's a big achievement and it did surprise me, but it wasn't lucky. They deserved it. They now have experience of the Premier League – not only the manager but the players and everything. "They did well last season have confidence, they have changed some players and are playing with more bravery and more freedom when they have the ball, but they didn't lose the steeliness and compactness that is still the core of their philosophy. "They are a very good team and all the credit and plaudits go to Sean Dyche."

Dyche for England?

Speaking of Sean Dyche, Bilic was asked if the Burnley boss is a realistic candidate to take charge of the England national side in the future. As one of just four Englishmen managing in the Premier League at present – Roy Hodgson, Eddie Howe and Craig Shakespeare being the other three – former Croatia boss Bilic believes the 46-year-old has many of the credentials required to be a successful international manager. "Why not? It's always good for a national team to have a domestic manager. It's not a club. It's like, you have to understand the whole nation, the legacy, the culture, the expectations and all that. "He's definitely one of them that has it. He's young and looks strong. He's got that voice! I'm joking, but he's doing a really good job. "Last year his success was a bit under the radar and he is still at Burnley, which makes it easier in a daily job because you can afford some bad games but, on the other hand, it makes it harder to get that ultimate recognition. He's definitely a good manager."

Big Andy's big impact

As is the case in every Bilic press conference, the name Andy Carroll popped up regularly in the journalists' line of questioning. This time, the manager was asked to assess the No9's impact this season in the light of him having failed to score in his first six appearances. For his part, Bilic was quick to point out what Carroll brings to his team, regardless of the number of times he finds the back of the net. "Andy always makes an impact on the game, whether that is from the start or from the bench. Of course, we are expecting him to get fitter and be better and better with more minutes on the pitch. "He's looking better in training than he was three or four weeks ago, which is only natural, because he was out for a long time, and now it's good. "There is always pressure on centre forwards to score because if the team doesn't score, the centre forwards are not happy. You expect your strikers to score goals but, as I said two years ago and last year, you have centre forwards who are depending on their goals to prove they are working for the team, but Andy is not like that. "He is working for the team, he is opening spaces, he sometimes has two or three players around him to stop him and that opens gaps and spaces for other players to use. Not to mention his flicks and lay-offs with head or foot. "So, for him to make an impact on the game and to be very important, not to mention crucial for our game, he doesn't have to score goals."

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Team news: Chicharito, Antonio and Lanzini updates
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic says he expects striker Chicharito to be in his matchday squad on Saturday when West Ham United return to Premier League action against Burnley.
The Hammers travel to Turf Moor to take on the Clarets in their first clash since the international break. Mexican forward Chicharito, who played and scored for his country on Saturday morning against Trinidad and Tobago in a FIFA World Cup qualifier, has not yet returned to east London but is still likely to travel north with the rest of Bilic's team. The striker was given dispensation to leave the national squad before their second fixture due to a personal reason, but manager Bilic revealed he could take part in Lancashire on Saturday. The boss said: "We are still waiting for Chicharito who is going to come back [to England] today. He wasn't with us for a couple of weeks because of the Mexico games and all that so he will be back in training tomorrow. "We have to bear in mind that Chicharito didn't train with us and today is Thursday and we play an away game on Saturday and tomorrow we'll be travelling he'll only be in training on Friday, so we're going to see. "The good thing is he played the first game and scored for Mexico, which is always important for the strikers, and he's going to train with us tomorrow. Then we're going to decide what we're going to do on Saturday, but I'm expecting him to be in the squad."

The Hammers have almost a fully fit squad, with only centre-back James Collins still missing with an ankle injury. Pedro Obiang and Edimilson Fernandes have returned to training and could feature on Saturday, and Bilic is positive about his squad ahead of the clash with Sean Dyche's side. "Since the last game the situation improved a lot," he continued. "Most of the players are going to be available for the game. "It is only Ginger Collins who is out still with that ankle he did against West Brom, but it's only for a matter of days and he should train with us Monday or Tuesday. "OK, on paper, we will have most of the squad back. Some of them only started training with us on Monday or Tuesday so they are not completely fit, but it's a good situation if we are talking about injuries as those who came back and played in the last game against Swansea like [Manuel] Lanzini and [Michail] Antonio used the international break to work on their stamina and work on their fitness. "To be fair, we mixed this break with a combination of days off to rest them and to work on their fitness and it went really good and we trained really good and those couple of things are the reason why I am optimistic for this game."

With a number of faces now back in the frame for a starting spot, Bilic was asked whether he has a selection headache for Saturday. "It's not a headache," the boss disagreed. "OK, it's another issue to use them all or to keep them all happy but if you're talking about in the long term, it's always an issue. "But it's good finally to be in the position where we have, in those attacking and offensive midfield positions, your whole team. "I said to my staff that I'm not saying they're all going to play, because that's impossible, but this is the first time that basically we have the possibility to put out the team we were thinking about in the pre-season that is, on paper, our strongest team. "We're going to probably be in the situation to have that option."

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As it happened: Slaven Bilic's Press Conference
WHUFC.com

​Slaven Bilic has arrived for his press conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Burnley in the Premier League.

West Ham United head to Turf Moor seeking to build on a productive September in which they scored seven points out of a possible 12 and kept three clean sheets in four Premier League matches.

However, Burnley have also made a fine start to the season and go into the weekend having lost just one of seven top-flight matches.

So, with those facts in mind, let's see what the boss has to say to the media...

Bilic has started off with some team news. He says: "Since the last game the situation improved a lot. Most of the players will be available. "It is only Ginger Collins who is out with the ankle he injured against West Brom, but it's only for a matter of days. "Chicharito will be back today. He wasn't with us because of the Mexico games and will be back in training tomorrow. "OK, some of them only started training on Monday or Tuesday but it's a good situation as most of them are fit and those who stayed back here worked on their stamina and their fitness. We mixed this break with a combination of days off and fitness work and it went really well and those things are why I am optimistic for this game."

That's great news.

Does the manager have a selection headache ahead of the game at Turf Moor, though?

That's not the case, says Bilic: "It's not a headache. It's always an issue to keep them all happy in the long term, but it's good to finally be in the position to have all these players available attacking and offensive midfield-wise. "I'm not saying they're all going to play, because that's impossible, but this is the first time we have the possibility to put out our strongest team on paper."

The Croatian has confirmed Chicharito isn't in east London. He's been asked what that means ahead of Saturday...

"You have to bear in mind that Chicharito didn't train with us and we play an away game on Saturday and he'll only be in training on Friday, so we're going to see.
"The good thing is he played the first game and scored for Mexico, which is always good for the strikers, and he'll train tomorrow. I'm expecting him to be available. "Somebody made up the rumours that he is not happy at West Ham."

Now onto the topic of Burnley: "Burnley are doing extremely well home and away. Last year they were a little bit too cautious, within reason, because they had been promoted and then relegated before.

"Last year they were playing more on reaction than action, but they have changed it. They are still very solid and when needed very direct, but you can see them play and being braver with the ball and on the ball.

"They kept the core of the team but added some more players and if you compare the team from the first game of last season, they have five new players.
​
"They have confidence and are playing well."

Bilic has received his usual Andy Carroll line of questioning. This week, he's been asked about the striker's motivation in a World Cup season: "Players are hoping and thinking of the World Cup, not only British players but the foreigners too. It's a motivation and it's the same for Andy Carroll.

"We spoke so many times, as we did before Euro 2016. He needs to be consistent, play well, score goals and make an impact on a regular basis for West Ham to think about an England call-up.
​
"I watched the second England game because of Aaron Cresswell, but Andy needs to concentrate on club football because only by playing well for West Ham will he force Gareth Southgate to give him a call."

Another Englishman is now on the agenda. Reece Oxford, who played this week for England's U20s, is the subject: "He's got that potential and he needed to somewhere to play regularly in a good league so he went to Monchengladbach, which is a good club in a good league.
​
"Unfortunately he didn't play regularly so far, but hopefully he will do and he will play well and come back and show the quality and form to become a regular player for West Ham."

Next question for Bilic: What does support of players mean?​

"I feel that the players are giving me answers. All the players are going to be very motivated on matchday because people are watching them in the ground and on telly, but at the training ground they are here every day and have frustrations and good days and bad days.
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"What gives me not hope but encouragement and proof that we're working hard is that we have never lost it, even in bad times this season and last. We are always training hard individually and in a group."

Sean Dyche has done a great job at Burnley, and the manager has now been asked whether the Clarets' outstanding start has been a surprise: "He's definitely a good manager. Does their start surprise me? Yes, it did, especially their away form because last year they waited until March or whenever to beat Palace away and get that first away win.

"If you ask which team has beat Chelsea and Everton and drew against Spurs and Liverpool and didn't know it was them, you would say Manchester United and not Burnley.

"It's a big achievement and it did surprise me, but they now have experience of the Premier League and have confidence and play with more bravery and more freedom when they have the ball, but they didn't lose the steeliness and compactness which is the core of their philosophy.
​
"They are a very good team and all the credit goes to Sean Dyche."

We've just had an international break, so it's only natural for the topic of international football to come up. Time to grill the Hammers manager on the England side...

One member of the press has asked: Why are they so boring to watch?

"It's hard to produce that rhythm. You need both teams to play. You can't expect one team to run like crazy when the other is slowing the tempo of the game.

"That's been for years the situation in international football. Sometimes in the Champions League and Europa League, English teams can't get into the rhythm. You need both.

"I think England have done well. They've qualified and I know the English press and fans talk like qualifiers are like friendly games which, on one hand, OK, but only to a certain level.

"Portugal needed to win their final game in a group with Switzerland but if England were in a group with Switzerland you'd think they were like Slovenia. Italy are going to the Play-Offs, France needed to win their last game, Croatia needed to win to go to the Play-Offs and they have a really good team.
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"Apart from Germany and Belgium, nobody cruised to qualification, so we should appreciate that."

While we're on the subject of entertainment: "Every manager is aiming to have both and, OK, it's 100 per cent a game of results because without them nobody is happy. The aim is to have a result with style and we're trying to achieve that."​

That's it for the press conference. More reaction to come later today.

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Obiang optimistic on return to action
WHUFC.com

Pedro Obiang is on track to return to action in Saturday's Premier League fixture at Burnley. The Spanish midfielder suffered a muscle injury in the goalless draw at West Bromwich Albion on 16 September, but has worked hard to regain his match fitness over the international break. And the popular No14 says is on track to be available for selection at Turf Moor this weekend. "The injury is progressing well," he confirmed. "On Wednesday, I came back to training with the squad so I will probably be ready to play this weekend. "If we want to be positive, my injury happened at the right time because we had the break to take time and didn't have to rush, because sometimes when you rush you can take another injury. So, we took time and now I'm close to being perfect. "We had to work hard during the long week while the others were away, because they are playing and working hard and for us it is the same. When the others come back, you have to be ready to play."

Having missed the tail-end of last season after undergoing ankle surgery, Obiang might have been expected to be feeling down after being ruled out again so soon. But the midfielder is taking a mature outlook on things these days and is feeling optimistic ahead of his imminent return. "The truth is that it was frustrating but I am being philosophical and when it happens, it happens, and I tried to be calm. "It's difficult for the team but it's more difficult individually because you are out and have to prepare yourself and, if the results of the team are good, you have to wait for your time. It's always the same story. "It's easy now for me to be patient but if this situation had happened one or two years ago, probably it would be difficult."

Obiang is also feeling philosophical about his last appearance, which saw him rattle the crossbar with an amazing 45-yard effort in the goalless draw at West Bromwich Albion. "I was lucky the week before [when I scored a deflected goal at home to Huddersfield Town], but I wasn't lucky with that one! That's just football – sometimes you have the opportunity and sometimes you cannot score. "I have tried many times to score a goal like that, sometimes in training, but it always finishes like that, hitting the crossbar, or a little bit too high, or sometimes the goalkeeper takes it. "You have to take a risk but, in that situation I had good feeling because I had scored in the game before, I was feeling a positive feeling to try. "It didn't happen so maybe I'll have to wait until after I've scored another goal to try again."

So, while he may not try another shot from the halfway line at Turf Moor, Obiang is excited about the prospect of returning to action at Burnley this weekend.
"We need to repeat the performance from the last game of last season, but I don't want to talk about that game because it is irrelevant because this game is different. "We have players coming back from injury and need to go there with the right mentality, fight and play the football we know how to play."

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"The girls are really becoming a team" – Ewens delighted with Charlton win
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies assistant manager Josh Ewens has hailed both the team spirit and tenacity shown by the side in the 3-1 win against Charlton Athletic. Heading into Wednesday evening's contest at The Valley Charlton boasted a 100% record in league football this season, winning all eight of their matches. However, goals from Paige Anderson-James and Molly Peters – including a sensational lob in the second period – gave West Ham a second consecutive win and their first away points of the campaign. With this 3-1 win coming just days after a 5-0 defeat of Swindon Town, Ewens reckons the Ladies and the fans are seeing the rewards of a growing team spirit in their camp. "The girls are really becoming a team now," A beaming Ewens told whufc.com: "There have been new players coming in and they are getting to know each other, their strengths and weaknesses, and they're becoming a group. "With that comes a will to work for each other on the pitch, and we've seen that in the last few games. "The most pleasing thing for us in the coaching team is that they stuck to the game plan that we've been working on. We highlighted certain things that Charlton would likely try to do against us and the girls worked extremely hard on improving in those areas.
"We're really thrilled with how they performed. It was a fantastic result. All the girls are buzzing."

West Ham had the lead at half-time thanks to a goal apiece from Anderson-James and Peters. The first came as the pair linked, allowing Anderson-James to score via the cross-bar after being played through by her strike partner. The second was created and netted by Peters. Bursting down the right flank, she cut inside and fired a hard shot which also struck the woodwork and then bounced over the line. Charlton had halved the deficit eight minutes into the second period when a hard effort from range found the top corner, but Peters capped a terrific performance with her second goal, lobbing the goalkeeper. Ewens was particularly impressed by how his side remained resolute against Charlton's attacking threat, with the Addicks posing a serious problem in the second half. He added: "Our defence has been something we've worked incredibly hard on. It's never nice to concede so early in the second half but the way the girls applied themselves was excellent. We were confident we could see out the game, and to add another goal was brilliant. Ewens also made mention of the coaching staff in his post-match comments. "The girls have been fantastic and so have the staff. Jackson and Kav, our physios, have been a huge part of it. Miles and Neo, Karen and Greg have all been brilliant, as has Dan. The entire coaching team have put so much effort in and we're just as delighted as the girls with this win."

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Andy Carroll is confident he could do a good job for England
By Mark Crellin
Last Updated: 12/10/17 5:12pm
SSN

West Ham forward Andy Carroll says he is getting fitter all the time after missing the start of the season with injury. And the 28-year-old is hopeful he can do enough over the remainder of the season to force his way into contention for a place in the England World Cup squad. Carroll has started three of West Ham's last four in the Premier League, including a pair of key home wins, and will get another chance to impress at Burnley on Saturday. And, while England qualified comfortably for Russia 2018, their play was often criticised as uninspiring, and it has been suggested that Carroll's aerial ability and physical prowess might come in useful come the tournament. Carroll told Sky Sports: "It would be nice to be in the squad, it is nice to be spoken about in that way. "All I have got to do is work hard and hopefully get the call but, at the minute, I am focused on getting fully fit here, scoring goals, and getting good results. If I deserve it, hopefully I will get the call."
Carroll has nine England caps to his name already and is adamant he can still be a force at that level. "Definitely," he added. "I am confident of what I can do and it is different to what they have got at the minute. I am fully confident of my ability." Carroll missed the start of the season but is hitting his stride now and thinks there is more to come. "I am feeling good," he said. "I am feeling a lot sharper than I did at the beginning of the season, getting back fit. I have had a run of games. In training, I feel a lot sharper, not 100 per cent yet but I am getting there." And Carroll is starting to form a useful-looking partnership in attack with summer recruit Javier Hernandez, a prolific goal-getter throughout his career, who has notched three times in the Premier League this season so far. "Javier Hernandez has brought a sharpness up front," said Carroll. "You know exactly what he is about and it is great to have him in the squad. I am 100 per cent confident we can play together, we played 4-4-2 last time and we got the result."

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic was asked about Carroll's World Cup claims at his media briefing on Friday and said: "Players are hoping and thinking of the World Cup, not only British players but the foreigners too. "It's a motivation and it's the same for Andy Carroll. He needs to be consistent, play well, score goals and make an impact on a regular basis for West Ham, to think about an England call-up. "I watched the second England game because of (Hammers full-back) Aaron Cresswell, but Andy needs to concentrate on club football, because only by playing well for West Ham will he force (England manager) Gareth Southgate to give him a call."

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PSV rising star Steven Bergwijn on Tottenham's transfer radar — with West Ham and Bournemouth keen too
Teenage wide-man viewed as one of the brightest prospects in Dutch football is already a first-team regular
The Mirror
16:15, 12 OCT 2017UPDATED18:02, 12 OCT 2017

Spurs, West Ham and Bournemouth are tracking PSV Windhoven wonderkid Steven Bergwijn. Talented teenager Bergwijn is attracting Premier League attention after becoming a regular in PSV's first team since last season. The pacy, two-footed wide-man can play on both flanks and is viewed as one of Holland's brightest young prospects. Tottenham are long-term admirers of Bergwijn, whose current deal runs until 2021. But West Ham and Bournemouth are also keeping tabs on the 19-year-old, who has played for his country from Under-17s to U21 level. He is expected to go on to become a full international as the Dutch rebuild after missing out on next summer's World Cup finals.

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Slaven Bilic sends warning to West Ham starlet Reece Oxford - 'you're not Kylian Mbappe'
The Hammers teenager was nominated for the Golden Boy nomination alongside the French phenom
The Mirror
Darren Lewis
17:01, 12 OCT 2017

Slaven Bilic has warned Reece Oxford not to start believing he is on a par with Kylian Mbappe after the West Ham starlet's Golden Boy nomination. Oxford, 18, is on a season-long loan at Borussia Monchengladbach but remains highly-rated after briefly impressing in the Premier League for West Ham. Paris Saint-Germain starlet Mbappe and Manchester United's Marcus Rashford are also on the shortlist for the Golden Boy award. But Bilic has warned Oxford not to let the nomination go to his head. The Hammers boss - whose men play Burnley this weekend- said: "Someone recognised him to be nominated for the Golden Boy award. "If he goes one way and thinks he is Mbappe then that's wrong. He needs to use this in the right way. "He has got it in him, get his place and start playing regularly. Hopefully he will get that in Germany and it'll be great to play in the Bundesliga."

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THE FEAR FACTOR
By Blind Hammer 12 Oct 2017 at 08:00
WTID
Blind hammer argues that we all need to manage expectations.

What are the common factors which unites our last game against Swansea with our notorious game against Hull in 2014? Well in both games there was a clear expectation that West Ham should win. In both games we were in the end considered to have and below par performance. In both games we ultimately won all 3 points. Arguably the 3 points gained against Hull was our luckiest ever. We went ahead after 30 minutes with a penalty which should have been disallowed for handball earlier. As a result the Hull keeper was sent off yet despite this double setback Hull dominated the game, equalised and West Ham only won through a flukey own goal scored on a rare foray.

Swansea also dominated possession and the game for long periods, only succumbing to a last gasp winner from Sakho. In both games our supporters condemned the team with a chorus of boos, famously against Hull even after full time when all 3 points were secured. This is the time that Allardyce finally fell out with many West Ham fans by sarcastically cupping his hand to his ear.

This was the time that Allardyce lost a lot of credit with me. This had nothing, however, to do with his cupping his ear antics. I was instead stunned when he widely announced, 24 hours before kick-off that this game was a "must win" game and that not winning would have disastrous consequences for the club. Prior to this game West ham had suffered 3 successive defeats. It was yet another season with which we were flirting with relegation.

For Allardyce, a competent science led sports technician in so, many other areas to get such basic sports psychology wrong was staggering to me. I groaned when I read Allardyce's comments and predicted that we were going to suffer a fear laden performance, with players paralysed by the season defining consequences of a misplace pass or mistake. The script was laid out for a cautious effort with apprehensive players fearful of errors. Players sought the safe rather than the inventive, the wary side or back pass rather than more risky, daring and ultimately more successful move.

Allardyce got an entirely predictable performance after the cack handedness of his psychological preparation. If anybody was lucky in how events panned out
In our unlikely victory it was Allardyce.

So you can imagine my chagrin when I learnt that the club hierarchy had similarly designated the Swansea game as a "must win" with implied consequences for Bilic arising from any failure.

The paralysing impact of this was immediately obvious for all to see in the first half against Swansea. Rather than relying on play that was instinctive and decisive, we were instead laboured and predictable. It seems we find it difficult to learn the lessons of even recent history.

Bilic is not stupid. He will not need to be told of "must win" games. If he truly needs this pressure then it should be applied privately out of sight of both fans and team. If Bilic is really a manager who needs pressure poured on him to perform then perhaps we do have the wrong manager. I think it is more likely that Bilic, an intelligent man is perfectly aware of expectations. What we saw from Allardyce in the case of Hull, and the Board in the case of Swansea, was seemingly an attempt to distance themselves from the likely performance of a team not yet firing on all cylinders. . In other words get excuses in early, making statement that appears to absolve responsibility for any negative performance.

Personally I thought some of the weirder and wonderful predictions of our result before the Swansea game had, in any case, rather more to do with wishful thinking than any serous football analysis. This led to completely unrealistic expectations. Whatever their weaknesses may be up front, clement had organised Swansea into one of the most difficult defensive outfits in the league. They had nullified the Spurs attack at Wembley, forcing a 0-0 draw, a defensive feat which we had singularly failed to replicate, conceding 3 in our own game against the self-same Spurs line-up only 7 days earlier. I had no idea on what form book those forecasting a goal feast for West Ham were relying on.

The problem is that fear is one of the most crippling problems in football. For a period Roberto Martínez managed Wigan Athletic to an extent where they massively punched above their weight in the Premiership. Martínez himself ascribed this success to the fact that he consistently was able to motivate his Wigan team to play without fear, without the weight of expectation, and as a consequence they consistently exceeded hopes. Martínez was unable to consistently achieve the same result against the weight of expectations when he moved to Everton. Ronald Koeman identified a similar problem and described a recent below par performance in the Europa League as due to his players being "scared."

This is why I have never personally booed either players or the team. This is not because I am not disappointed but because I believe it is massively counterproductive. By erecting a wall of hostility towards our team we are simply providing one more obstacle for them to overcome if they are to become ultimately successful.

Allardyce actually described this well in his analysis of booing in the 2014 Hull game. He explained'

"We don't need them on players' backs when we are coming off three defeats. They have to stay and help them win."

He added:
"At half-time, the players were talking more about fans booing them than the game. I had to make sure they kept focused on the field."

So booing made it harder for a team to perform in a way that pleased the crowd. It is odd that Allardyce could understand this but fail to grasp his own counterproductive psychological methodology.

The constant brinkmanship of Bilic's future is probably causing lapse of judgement. In recent weeks both Antonio and Carroll have played despite obviously not being 100% fit. Bilic is probably motivated to play these key players, even whilst unfit, in response to the pressure he is under.

The West Ham Board must show decisiveness. They should either back Bilic or not place pressure on the team, or they should show resolution now and sack him. What is crippling for the team's confidence and development is the drip drip of leaks about games being "must win" games, or the 4 games to save Bilic's job scenario from alleged insider sources. This ultimatum must at least remain private.

We are playing in the most competitive league in the world. It is sheer nonsense to imagine that there are so called "easy games". We should manage expectations accordingly. Our next opponents Burnley have delighted in shocking several "big clubs" who have underestimated them. However we have quality players who have all recently demonstrated their undoubted abilities in the recent internationals for their national sides. If we want the free flowing instinctive football we would all have joy in then we need to eliminate the fear of failure. We must dare to succeed.

COYI

David Griffith

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com