Ex-Manchester City striker Niall Quinn has been fulsome in his praise for West Ham boss Slaven Bilic as the club starts its new life at the Olympic Stadium.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic on Sunday at the Olympic Stadium
In his weekly ‘Football Expert’ column for Sky Sports, Quinn has been waxing lyrical about Bilic’s managerial ability, and he sees no reason why the Hammers cannot be successful this season with their move from the Boleyn Ground to the Olympic Stadium whilst Bilic is at the helm.
In particular, Quinn feels the Croatian has the “charisma” and “ability” needed to impart his ethos on and succeed with a club of West Ham’s stature.
He said: “I think in Bilic, West Ham have the right man to turn a spanking new stadium into a flesh and blood home.
“Even in a blockbuster league dotted with big-name managers like Mount Rushmore is dotted with those giant stone effigies, a passionate, socialist, guitar-playing, multi-lingual charmer with a law degree is a stand-out.”
Former Sunderland chairman Quinn has complete faith in Bilic’s ability
Quinn drew on his experience playing against Bilic, adding that as an opponent Bilic was always “interesting” to play against due to his fiercely competitive nature, but after the game he was always there to shake your hand and chat about the game.
“[He’s] one of the good guys,” Quinn added.
The Hammers played their first match at their new stadium on Sunday in a 1-0 win over Bournemouth.
A crowd of 56,977 turned up to see Michail Antonio score with a header in the 85th minute – over 20,000 more than the capacity of the Boleyn Ground.
Antonio jumped highest at the back post to score the first goal at the new stadium
Moving grounds is never easy, as Quinn knows full well having been with Sunderland when they moved from Roker Park to the Stadium of Light, and in his mind it is Bilic’s responsibility to ensure the move is a success.
He said: “It’s up to Bilic to build a team that will make the stadium loved and not just admired.” Quinn is in no doubt that Bilic is up to the task.
Despite chants from the Bournemouth supporters of “Is this the Emirates?” (a reference to Arsenal’s current stadium when compared to their former, more intimate Highbury ground), Bilic was quick to talk up the atmosphere in the Hammers’ new home, reports the Independent.
He said: “The atmosphere inside the stadium was brilliant.
“You know I was a big fan of Upton Park. You know I’m not paid to hail new stadium if I don’t like, but I felt it was proper today.”
Although Bilic’s side was short on fluency on Sunday (no doubt exacerbated by being shorn of several key players including Dimitri Payet), three points was the minimum requirement from the game to get the monkey off the side’s back before it could have a detrimental effect on the club’s season. They will now look to kick on and play some exciting football at their new home.
Star man Payet missed Sunday’s game, but is expected to return on Thursday
In his first season at the club last year, Bilic took the Hammers to 7th in the Premier League table, and a swift transition to the new stadium will be vital if his side is to improve upon that achievement.
Bilic’s men will be running out at their new ground again on Thursday evening for the second leg of their Third Round Europa League qualifying tie with Romanian side Astra Giurgiu. The first leg ended 1-1.
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