AYEW: THE BOSS KNOWS PLAYERS ARE BEHIND HIM
ANDRE AYEW said West Ham’s sensational comeback against Tottenham shows the players are behind manager Slaven Bilic.
The 3-0 defeat by Brighton last Friday had raised questions over Bilic’s future and last night his side responded as they battled from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Wembley in the Carabao Cup.
The West Ham board have explored possible replacements for Bilic and, while the club do not want to sack him, defeat last night would have moved him closer to the exit door.
It was looking bleak for Bilic when the Hammers were two down at half-time but Ayew scored twice and Angelo Ogbonna netted the winner.
Ayew says the show of strength demonstrates the players have not given up on their manager.
The striker said: “When you are at a club like West Ham and the results are difficult, the manager is under pressure, and the players are, too, we just need to keep working hard. The manager knows the players are behind him and will give everything, not just for him but for themselves, too, because we have to wear the shirt with pride.
“We are going to do everything to get some points and get out of that zone. There is a fighting spirit and we need to do it week-in, week-out.
“We showed a lot of determination in the second half. It was a very good win, considering what we have been going through in the Premier League.”
Despite the result, West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold and vicechairman Karren Brady remain concerned about the club’s position in the Premier League. The Hammers are in the bottom three and Bilic is aware Saturday’s crunch game against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park could yet have a big bearing on his future.
In an interview in yesterday’s Standard Sport, West Ham captain Mark Noble had challenged his teammates to “wear the shirt with pride” and last night he was delighted with their response.
Noble said: “I do not think you get that second-half performance if you are not playing for your manager. We showed a lot of character.”
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino had said he was prioritising “real trophies” like the Champions League and Premier League this season, despite the fact Spurs are yet to lift a trophy under him.
Pochettino, who now turns his focus to Saturday’s clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford, said: “We showed a lack of aggression and everything we were doing in the first half. You can never lose your focus.
“We allowed them to come back into the match. In the first half it was under control. In the second half, we lost a bit of the aggression. They have players that are always dangerous.”