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Slaven Bilic’s three best games as West Ham manager

By Scott Johnson

TOPSHOT - West Ham United's Croatian manager Slaven Bilic watches during the English Premier League football match between West Ham United and Swansea City at The Boleyn Ground in Upton Park, in east London on May 7, 2016. / AFP / Ian Kington / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)
TOPSHOT - West Ham United's Croatian manager Slaven Bilic watches during the English Premier League football match between West Ham United and Swansea City at The Boleyn Ground in Upton Park, in east London on May 7, 2016. / AFP / Ian Kington / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images) /
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The Follow Up: Liverpool 0 – 3 West Ham

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 29: Mark Noble of West Ham United is congratulated on his goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield on August 29, 2015 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 29: Mark Noble of West Ham United is congratulated on his goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield on August 29, 2015 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /

Despite winning the first match of the season 2-0 away at Arsenal, Bilic’s West Ham then lost the next two matches, both at home, to Leicester and Bournemouth. At that point no-one could predict the season the foxes would have, so there was some understandable disappointment around the club as we travelled up to Anfield. Especially since we hadn’t won there in the league since 1963. But Bilic wasn’t here for facts.

Bilic here set up to try and control the midfield and stop Liverpool utilising Coutinho and Firmino effectively. Kouyate and Noble sat in front of Pedro Obiang, with Payet and Manuel Lanzini playing as narrow wingers to support Sakho. The fullbacks then look to create the width as Lanzini and Payet drew defenders inside. And within 5 minutes, Cresswell had got outside to cross to Lanzini who opened the scoring. I mean, it’s a simple game when broken down like that, right? Well, Bilic thought so.

Liverpool was frustrated throughout the match, only able to get 2 shots on target the entire game, committing 17 fouls in the process. 2 of those fouls saw Phillipe Coutinho get a yellow card, meaning the whinging Brazilian had to watch the last 40 minutes of the game from the bench. And which player was it who twirled his way into the challenge to draw the foul? That man Payet.

Whilst Payet deserves a lot of credit for what went on during the season, Bilic was the one who freed him and set the rest of the team up to support the cause. This match was a wonderful example of that because although Payet shone, the real victory that day came from shutting the opposition down. And Bilic got the most out of different options up top throughout the year as well. Sakho had just had his one season of relative success in the Premier League, but here was used to harry and harass as a mobile striker. At his best, Bilic thought up and down the pitch to try and give his best players time and space to impact the game, and that really was on show here.\