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Slaven Bilic has answered two key questions to our season so far – why did Simone Zaza arrive and why did James Tomkins go?
Both are issues that have been hot topics among the fans but as ever the manager has been quick to come out and offer honest answers.
However, some may feel he has taken a step too far in making a Zaza/Dennis Bergkamp comparison after the first four games of the Italian’s loan spell in which he has failed to score!!
Bilic said: “He is definitely a good player who came from a big club to a new country. New players need time. If we go back and think about Dennis Bergkamp, who needed – I don’t know – a year?
“It is quite common with even the best players from abroad. Plus, Zaza wasn’t a regular there and didn’t have match fitness. It takes time sometimes and unfortunately we don’t have that time.”
And he stuck by his guns on his sale of JT adding: “It was never me or the club that wanted to sell him. James wanted to play week in, week out. I rated him a lot as a guy and as a player.
“I used him a lot last year and he played many games for us. But when he wasn’t the first choice, he found it very hard in a nice and sporting way. Not in a bad way. That is the reason. I hate to sell.
“For me it was always the plan to play local players – West Ham academy players, then London-based players, then English, then British. Then, if we can’t find that, we go abroad. Tomkins is local.”
I am getting bored now of the ‘Why did we sell Tomkins’ comments every day.It seemed obvious that the lad wanted regular football.It could of course be argued that maybe he lacked the spirit to stay & fight for a starting berth.
I find it amazing that Bilic can compare Zaza with Bergcamp – that’s just ridiculous.
The big problem that I see is the rumour that if Zaza plays 15 games than we are forced to buy him – as it stands he has been hopeless, completely out of his depth, he has got to start showing something soon, the crowd are starting to turn against him and that will be his lot!
As far as Tomkins is concerned, you can’t blame him for wanting to play First Team football and he is never going to be an automatic starter – just short of being top class – great cover but not quite good enough!
I have to say I admire Bilic’s honesty but I am afraid he has made a big mistake as signing Zaza. He is awful and a terrible piece of business.
He didnt compare them as footballers did he for feck sake.He was on about the fact it took so long for Berrgkamp to settle.Which was 100% fact haha 😀
Correctamundo Sams P45…
P45 whatever Slav says is not good enough for some you must realise that by now 🙂
Fair enough – but to use them in the same sentence invites comparison and he was only saying that it took Bergkamp a while to settle in – BUT Zaza’s not good enough to lace Dennis Bergkamp’s boots and never will be!
But he never said that did he.He was simply saying that he can remember how long it took for Bergkamp to adjust to the PL.He never at any point mentioned a comparison with Bergkamp talent wise did he.
Go grab yourself a Happy Hour beer & chill out Michael 😀
Just like Tore, just like Nordsvelt..
You mean the Tore you wanted at Left Back yesterday.You must have had the crack pipe out..
Alfie, I would like us to go to two up top and three at the back, there are lots of reasons I like this formation, bring Oxford into the team, play Payet as 10, Lanzini in the middle and most importantly two up top Antonio and an other. Ok I was struggling for a LB but I just thought that if he had Ogbanna tucked in behind him he may do a job there. Put it this way it is no crazier than playing Nordsvet at rb, we saw how bad he was last weekend !!
So really he took a punt on Zaza hitting the ground running, and that hasn’t happened plan b is?. COYI