Dicks on Bilic…Grant and Megadeth

DicksHammers coach Julian Dicks has declared that life under Avram Grant was a dire place.

Speaking to the Sunday People he said that under Slaven Bilic the training ground is a fun place but said: “I remember coming to watch training here under Avram Grant. It was a dire place. No-one was smiling or joking.”

He explained that Bilic likes to keep life’ bubbly’ adding that the pair of them are off to watch heavy metal band Megadeth with the manager having got the tickets.

He said: ““He put on a couple of their songs at Liverpool. It seemed to lift the mood of the dressing room.

Hard to see Grant rocking out to that band – perhaps the James Last Orchestra.

Explaining the friendship between himself and the manager Julian said: ”

“We both used to smoke and drink and we both liked heavy metal music.

“We were good room-mates. We just hit it off from day one. I’ve still got the Everton shirt he gave me after I played against him. People say to me he’s a miserable so-and-so. But he’s not. He’s got a good sense of humour. He’s good fun to be with.”

“We both used to smoke and drink and we both liked heavy metal music,” he said.

Dicks said: “We just hit it off from day one. I’ve still got the Everton shirt he gave me after I played against him. People say to me he’s a miserable so-and-so. But he’s not. He’s got a good sense of humour. He’s good fun to be with.”

GettyCroatia's football coach Slaven Bilic plays guitar in Split

 

As his coach – despite one or two eyebrows being raised at the appointment – Dicks said: S “The gaffer knows what he will get from me. Which is truth. He can ask me any single question he wants and he knows I will tell him the truth.”

“The fans could count on me to go through brick walls. There’s no-one like me today. If I was playing today I wouldn’t be on the pitch.”

“I remember my first game when I elbowed an Everton player. The crowd went mad. He was laying on the floor. That was my initiation.”

He said:“There’s a bond between me and the fans. They are coming back. Certain fans had left, whether it was because of managers or because they couldn’t afford to go.”

“But it’s going to be a lot cheaper at the new ground. To go from 33,000 to 55,000 at the new stadium the team have to be doing well. It will be a big wrench to leave, but to go to the next level you need a bigger stadium. West Ham stands out to me from any other club. Our pride and our passion is back.”

 

About Hugh5outhon1895

Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!" Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon