Slaven Bilic is facing perhaps one of the biggest days of his West Ham managerial career.
Today will determine several key factors:
- How will he cope with TWO of his most key players – Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell;
- Were the improved performances of recent weeks a false dawn;
- Can we take something from a game which looks as difficult as it gets;
- Have the events of Wednesday night sapped us of the confidence we had built at the now nearly forgotten League match last weekend;
- With Liverpool looming large on the horizon next weekend it’s conceivable, we could be bottom of the table by mid-December.
In a nutshell – has our manager got the answers or will he be facing a shortening of the bookies’ odds against his departure?
I FOR ONE HOPE NOT BECAUSE I BELIEVE HE IS THE MOST PASSIONATE IRONS BOSS WE’VE HAD IN MANY YEARS.
However, these are hugely difficult times in his life and he admits: “There’s no reason to panic, especially when we played well, but we can’t relax and say “it’s going to come”, because it ain’t going to come by itself.”
Simple, realistic and honest – all the reasons why most of us have taken him so much to our hearts.
Today I am believing and hoping.
Maybe my match verdict is based purely on that but I am going for a 1-1 draw which I believe will be enough to restore any lost confidence from the EFL excursion at Old Trafford in midweek.
A big day yes … If he picks Noble he is signing his own resignation letter. If he shows balls and leaves him out he might survive .
The funny thing is bubs, as much as we say Noble is slowing the game down, I think we need his passion to gee up the team and play a maurauding skipper today in a very important London derby! TBH Payet has been going missing more of late! Oh to be in Bilic’s shoes, but if Zaza makes an appearance I think I will have lost a bit more respect to Bilic… Whatever happens we need a point or 3 to build on… think of me watching the game with a gooner in Wales! #coyi cheers bubs! Where are matti etc?
I have to question Slav’s team selection for the cup game midweek.
He went for a pretty much first team again, which meant 3 tough games in 7 days.
Too much for Cressa who had only just come back,now injured:
Antonio played a deep defensive role,which he isn’t good at,and hates playing there,now injured:
Payet had arguably his worst game in our colours, he just didn’t fancy it:
Say what you will about Noble,but he would have fought for the colours. We should have switched the team more, so we had our best fit n ready for the Arse. COYI