Slaven Bilic explains reason why the tactical change West Ham fans want is ‘almost impossible’

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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has played down the prospect of playing Andy Carroll and Javier Hernandez as a strike partnership.

West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic has told Football.London that playing Andy Carroll and Javier Hernandez as a strike partnership is ‘almost impossible’.

The Hammers were back on the road on Saturday after beating Huddersfield Town 2-0 at the London Stadium on Monday night, as they travelled to take on West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns.

Slaven Bilic’s men kept things tight at the back in a fairly dour affair, but could’t make the break through at the other end as they played out a 0-0 draw, earning their first point away from home this season.

West Ham fans were a little frustrated with the attacking play though, with the role of Javier Hernandez a particular topic of conversation for Hammers supporters both during and after the game.

Hernandez, a summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen, is one of the world’s top poachers, but Bilic decided to play him out wide, with Andy Carroll serving as the central striker.

Mexican international Hernandez unsurprisingly didn’t have his best game in an unfamiliar role, and West Ham fans have called for Bilic to use the pair up front together.

With Carroll’s power and aerial ability, combined with Hernandez’s movement and predatory instincts, the pair could form a classic ‘little and large’ partnership in attack – but Bilic has poured cold water on that suggestion.

Bilic has told Football.London that it is hard to play both of them as central strikers, and whilst fans may feel that the pair need to play together, Bilic feels it’s ‘almost impossible’ given that he wants to play with five at the back and then fit wingers Marko Arnautovic and Michail Antonio into his side.

“It is possible, I am thinking about them the most but it is hard to have them both in their natural positions,” said Bilic. “It is hard to do that and then have three at the back, then with Antonio and Arnautovic, it is almost impossible,” he added.