Bilic was sending Irons board a message claims pundit
Talking on the BBC website Lawro said “When West Ham boss Slaven Bilic said this week that his players lacked intensity in training I think it was a message to the Hammers’ owners as well as his squad.
A few of their players were outstanding last season but have not really got going in this campaign. Bilic cannot say to them ‘pull your fingers out or I am going to sell you’ so he is trying a different approach.
“I suspect he has tried a few different things already but they have not worked and he has probably been looking at his team and thinking you are not giving me enough – and now he is telling everyone else what he is seeing too.”
“Liverpool’s defeat by Bournemouth last week was a blow but I think it will just be a hiccup. The Reds are still a good side, and are still well placed at the top of the table.
However, if you score three goals away from home in the Premier League you have got to win and I think the only fly in the ointment for Reds’ boss Jurgen Klopp is their goalkeeper situation. Klopp has stuck his neck out with Loris Karius and said you are my number one and I just wonder now if he is privately thinking ‘what do I do now?’ because Simon Mignolet is a better goalkeeper, no question.”
“I think Klopp has to bring Mignolet back on Sunday and forget about how Karius might lose confidence if he is dropped. He might improve but at the moment he is just not good enough – we saw that against the Cherries.
“It might not appear to be a factor against a struggling West Ham team, especially because Liverpool have already blown a few teams apart at Anfield this season, but we see plenty of surprise results in the Premier League and Klopp will not want to risk another one.”
Lawro’s prediction: 2-0
Robbie William’s prediction: I would like West Ham boss Slaven Bilic to do well because he is the rock ‘n’ roll manager but I think Liverpool are just going to have too much for them. Divock Origi to get a brace. 3-1