The West Ham United dressing room is run by three key players according to boss Slaven Bilic.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic
The Hammers endured a torrid start to the Croatian’s second season in charge of the East London club.
It was a far cry from last season’s record-breaking farewell to the club’s Boleyn Ground home of 112 years which saw Bilic’s side record their best ever Premier League points total and first positive goal difference since the club came so close to winning the title in 1986 as they finished just four points off the Champions League places.
West Ham struggled badly in the first half of the season, going out of the Europa League, EFL Cup and FA Cup and stuck near the bottom of the table lacking any kind of form or consistency.
Results have picked up drastically of late, though, coinciding with the Dimitri Payet situation and eventual exit before the January transfer window slammed shut.
The Hammers brought in experienced Premier League duo Robert Snodgrass and Jose Fonte and the club has stabilised climbing to 10th in the table with raised hopes of European qualification.
Now in an interview with Premier League productions published on the club’s official website, Bilic says much of it is down to his own mini government of Mark Noble and his two newest additions.
Bilic and skipper Mark Noble
“We lost a world-class player in Payet but we got two players in Snodgrass and Fonte who are the those (type of) players you need around the skipper (Noble) to make your ‘government’ if you know what I mean!” Bilic said on whufc.com.
“Snodgrass is British and Fonte is Portuguese but he is also ‘home-grown’ because he has been here for ten years now, so we are more thick as a team, more mature, you know.
“It’s vital and crucial because, as a manager, of course you are the boss and have the power and responsibility but, especially when it comes down to small things, you can’t tell the players the same thing every day, because then you are losing power.
Robert Snodgrass
“So, the best thing is when the players sort it out among themselves and you don’t have to interfere, which is why it’s important for me to have a core of English or British, let’s say home-grown, players.
“With that, it is much easier to have a successful group of players.”
It makes a nice change to hear Bilic talking about the positive influence of big names on the dressing room at West Ham after the much-publicised negative impact Payet had been having.
It all bodes well for the future and with the right summer signings West Ham could really kick on with their new stadium in the next few seasons.
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