Slaven Bilic Praises West Ham's Chairman & Board Following Influx of Big-Name Signings
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has revealed his delight at the team's latest additions during the pre-season, amid a smattering of summer signings for the club.
In an article by the Daily Mirror, Bilic spoke of how pleased he is with the players West Ham have brought in, and how they can improve the East End side's position in the Premier League.
Image by Sam Morris
The current positive atmosphere around the London Stadium is a far-cry from the events of last season. Not only did Bilic have to deal with a relegation threat but also repeated injuries and a plethora of underwhelming players bought by the Hammer's hierarchy.
This summer however, it appears that the West Ham board have changed their transfer policy, focusing on short-term success instead of purchasing squad players for the future.
Players who have already joined the club include Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez. As the Croatian manager discussed this influx of experienced, quality footballers, the excitement in his voice was palpable ahead of the new season.
Bilic said: “I said at the end of last season that we don’t need squad players, but we need top players, the players who are going to improve the first eleven.
“I wanted quality players who will make a difference if everyone is fit. It’s a massive achievement – it’s not easy, but we have done it.
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“You never know how it is going to click, but we have done well. It is important that we have done it early enough in the transfer window. The majority of that is done, so congratulations to the Chairman, to the Board. They have done brilliantly and people from other clubs have recognised it.”
Aside from transfer dealings, Bilic has also made his opinions known on the amount of injuries West Ham suffered last campaign. As a remedy, former England and Arsenal physio Gary Lewin has being drafted in by the manager, who is hoping to see a drastic reduction in sidelined players next term.
He added: "We had ten surgeries last season which is incredible and we have made some changes. We experienced everything last year and that improves the character of the team. I am expecting a really big season."
