West Ham Manager Review: How did Bilic do against Huddersfield?

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LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 11: Andre Ayew of West Ham United (2L) scores their second goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Huddersfield Town at London Stadium on September 11, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /

Substitutions

Bilic made three substitutions on Monday night, one which was effectively a timewasting device. As such I will focus on the other two, one in particular that drew criticism.

The first substitute Bilic made was to bring Chicharito off for Andre Ayew. This brought some boos from the crowd and a social media reaction that suggested it could be game changing. It was. However very few people thought Ayew would be the man to have a hand in both goals as the Hammers turned a 0-0 stalemate into a comfortable 2-0 win.

I do have to hold my hands up for this one, because I did think it was the wrong decision. However Bilic backed himself up saying the Mexican was tired after travelling and needed to be changed. It turned out well, and a manager has to back himself.

Imagine being Chicharito and signing for a team desperate for a striker, playing out on the wing and being subbed off after 60 mins #WHUHUD
— Green St. Hammers (@GreenStHammers) September 11, 2017

But I will say that whilst this sub worked, Chicharito must play more central. He looked isolated often on the wing and doesn’t have the game to play there regularly. This is something to ponder moving forward.

The other substitution saw Sakho replace Carroll. Whilst it was needed as Carroll was shattered, if Sakho never plays again I won’t be bothered. He looked bored, out of touch and overall poor quality. I’d rather see Ayew play a central striker role.