Bilic: Cup exit was no blessing in disguise

SLAVEN Bilic was pleased enough with West Brom’s 90-minute display, if not the outcome of their penalty shoot-out, as they bowed out of the Carabao Cup.

The head coach saw enough from his players to encourage him and he maintained that Cedric Kipre could count himself unfortunate for his part in the awarding of the penalty that Marcus Forss plundered.

“Especially at 2-1, we didn’t look like a team who was hanging on to the lead,” Bilic said. “We were quite comfortable, searching to score the third one.

“There are no hard feelings, but it wasn’t a penalty from Cedric – it was a great challenge with great timing. Unfortunately the ref gave it. After that, the penalties are always a bit of a lottery.

“Very disappointed with the result, but very pleased with the way we played as a team. There were a few very good individual performances.” Much is made of the idea that clubs such as Albion, who will naturally prioritise their Premier League campaign and survival, don’t give much thought to competitions such as the Carabao Cup.

Baggies supporters have waited years – generations – to see their club lift a major trophy, even if the league form nowadays does indeed take precedence over all else.

Bilic waved away the notion that their premature exit from the competition was a ‘‘blessing in disguise’’, however.

“We wanted to go through,” he insisted. “You want to win every game and we have a big enough squad to. That game, against Fulham or Sheff Wed, we wouldn’t have had to travel.

“It doesn’t harm your training – this is perfect training, and preparation for the Chelsea game for the players who didn’t play against Everton. It’s not a blessing in disguise. Of course, our big-time priority is the Premier League, but we wanted to go through.”

Bilic explained that Hal RobsonKanu was withdrawn late on because he was suffering from tightness. Robson-Kanu had converted two penalties in the second half of the tie, which ended 2-2 before the Bees progressed into the fourth round with a 5-4 shoot-out success.

With the game in its final minutes and that aforementioned shoot-out looming, there was many a raised eyebrow as to why Bilic was taking off the Welshman who had slotted home two spot-kicks particularly efficiently.

Having previously been preparing to bring on Matheus Pereira, Bilic opted for Robson-Kanu’s forward counterpart Charlie Austin, who sunk the opening penalty of the shoot-out with aplomb.

“It was the plan for Pereira to come on,” Bilic explained. “Then when I called for Pereira to go into the game, I got a call from Richie the physio to tell me Hal is feeling his calf or hammy, I don’t know which. That’s the reason we changed our substitution.”

Austin and Kamil Grosicki were omitted from the squad entirely at Everton on Saturday. Yet while Austin made the match-day 18 against Brentford, Polish winger Grosicki was nowhere to be seen. Bilic reasoned that he had been struggling with various injuries.

“He felt on Monday two things, I think,” Bilic continued. “It was his back and he was tight in some muscles.”