Moncur: “Don’t ever mess with honest Slav”

Slaven Bilic’s former team-mate John Moncur has just one word to sum up his feelings on the club’s new manager:  “Perfect.”

Moncs was part of the 1996-97 team of which the Croat became such an essential defender and said: “He bought into the club from Day One and is very much part of the West Ham Way.

“I used to love playing in front of Slav because although he would deal with situations when needed by clearing first time, he was technical and very good on the ground.

“He loved to bring the ball out from the back and set things up and that let me play my game. It’s very West Ham in style. It’s going to be fun at Upton Park again.”

Moncs also revealed that Slav has always been a brilliant operator in the dressing room and that his knowledge of the game is immense.

He said “People are saying it was a risk to change from Sam Allardyce but I see it the other way. There’s less risk of us being relegated under Slav than there would have been under Sam. We were a seriously poor team towards the end of the season.”

Slav will keep us in the division – of that I am absolutely sure and he’ll be providing the sort of football us West Ham people want. I’m excited and really looking forward to meeting up with him again.. I think he was the perfect choice.”

Moncs also believes that youth will get a much bigger chance than it did under the last manager adding: “Slav knows all about the academy and what it means to West Ham.

He said: “He will have looked at what’s happened at Southampton and knows that we are a bigger club than them and with a rich history of bringing through out own kids.

“He knows what’s expected. He was  quick to absorb the club’s history and became one of the boys very quickly. We will be seeing the real West Ham again under Slav and it feels great.”

And his biggest quality?

Moncs replies immediately: His honesty…he tells you exactly what he thinks and is as straight as a die. But don’t mess with him because he can deal with that.Trust me.

“I had a little fall out with him once and a little wrestle. Err never again.”

John Moncur will be bringing his analysis and insight to ClaretandHugh from the start of the new season