West Ham boss Bilic likens his Premier League start to 'walking into a bar full of girls'

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is enjoying his start to life as a Premier League manager

SLAVEN BILIC savoured his stunning start as a Premier League manager and likened it to "walking into a bar full of girls!".

 

After just six games in charge, Bilic has already carved himself a piece of Upton Park history - by guiding the Hammers to away wins at Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City for the first time in the same season.

But this was by far the most notable triumph of the three considering it came against the most expensive team ever sent out onto a football field in Britain - Wilfried Bony's introduction as a second half substitute took the combined cost of the 14 players used by City to £327m.

 

Hammers showed, however, that with good tactical organisation, discipline, determination and a fair amount of good fortune, transfer fees and big reputations can mean little.

Asked how it feels to be sitting second in the table with four wins from six games, Bilic smiled and said: "Of course, I like it when we are winning. Of course it is brilliant! It is like when you come to a pub that is full of girls!"

On a more serious note, he pointed to the home defeats to Leicester and Bournemouth to underline his belief that it is actually easier to play away because there is not the same onus on a team to attack.

"Sometimes it is easier to play away," he said, "because it makes you more organised, you keep your shape. And from that patience, something may open up, because you are not rushing things.

 

Summer signing Victor Moses gave West Ham the lead in their 2-1 away victory against Manchester City

"It's why there were many away wins in the Premier League in the first three round of games. From 30 games, there were only six home wins. It isn't going to stay like that, it's impossible.

"But, especially in the beginning, when you are desperate for a home win that pressure, that rushing, is sometimes your biggest enemy."

Although it was a case of backs-against-the-wall heroics in the second half, West Ham showed they can play a bit as well before the break when they stormed into a 2-0 lead through goals from Victor Moses - following a 13-pass move - and Diafra Sakho.

Bilic singled out Winston Reid - "it was like there were two Reid brothers on the pitch. He always in the right place" - but he also paid tribute to the hard work of flair players like Manuel Lanzini and Dimitri Payet despite not having much of the ball.

"Payet and Lanzini fight for the team and were running at the end. It is not common for these types of players to do that, you know what I mean? They like to be more flashy. That is why we are winning games.

 

"I don't know how long this is going to last, to be fair. But I hope it's going to last a long time but the best thing is to make football players fight for the team."

Goalkeeper Adrian pulled off a series of brilliant saves to leave City manager Manuel Pellegrini furious at his team's sloppy start and the fact they failed to turn 27 attempts at goal, 16 corners and 72 per cent of the possession into a 12th successive League win.

City lost playmaker David Silva in the warm-up but with Kevin de Bruyne filling the playmaker role impressively with a goal on his first start, captain Vincent Kompany's absence from the back four was more significant.

The infuriating Jesus Navas failed to find a team-mate with 13 crosses, while Eliaquim Mangala was replaced at half-time after an erratic defensive display.

Afer a second home defeat in a week following the Champions League setback to Juventus, Pellegrini said: "We had 27 attempts and only scored one goal so we have to finish better. And we gave away two easy goals. It is so important to concentrate at all times. It was exactly the same as Juventus - we were playing in a crazy way."

Man City (4-2-3-1): Hart 6; Sagna 6, Otamendi 6, Mangala 5 (Demichelis 45, 5), Kolarov 5 (Iheancho 84, 5); Fernandinho 6, Toure 7; Navas 5, De Bruyne 8, Sterling 6 (Bony 65, 5); Aguero 6. Goal: De Bruyne 45. Booked: Kolarov. NEXT UP: Sunderland (a) tom COC.

West Ham (4-2-3-1): Adrian 8; Jenkinson 7 (Collins 84, 5), Tomkins 8, Reid 9, Cresswell 6; Obiang 6, Noble 7; Moses 6 (Antonio 60, 5), Lanzini 6 Jelavic 69, 5), Payet 6; Sakho 7. Goals: Moses 6, Sakho 31. Booked: Lanzini, Obiang. NEXT UP: Leicester (a), tom, COC.

Referee: R. Madley (Wakefield).

Stat of the Day

Victor Moses' strike was the first goal City have conceded in 572 minutes of Premier League football - stretching back to the penultimate game of last season at Swansea.