West Ham have to focus on Saints clash, not league table - Bilic

The Hammers are on course to challenge their best ever Premier League finish of fifth, a feat they achieved in 1998-99 season.

West Ham have to focus on Saints clash, not league table - Bilic

(Reuters)





Bilic's men are only six points off fourth-placed Arsenal after 24 games and their impressive form this campaign has raised hopes that the club could qualify for next season's Champions League or Europa League competition.

"We are good, we are consistent, I would like us to be more consistent. Of course there is always room for improvement but we are very confident," Bilic told reporters on Thursday.

"We have 14 games to play which is a lot, but we are fit, we are good, we are collecting points and I hope we are going to continue like this.

"We shouldn't be looking at the table at the moment, all we can influence is our performances so that's what we'll concentrate on."

West Ham face a tough test on Saturday against Southampton, who have won three games in a row prior to their hard-fought goalless draw with title contenders Arsenal on Tuesday.

"Yes, they (Southampton) have been unpredictable at times, but they are playing good, especially recently. They are a good side, they like to play football," the former Croatia manager said.

"They have great individuals and great pace on the counter attack, so I am expecting a very, very tough game and a very good game on Saturday."

Bilic also revealed new loan signing Emmanuel Emenike could make his debut against the Saints, while striker Andy Carroll has recovered from a hamstring injury in time to be included in the squad.

However, the 47-year-old Croat might have to do without defender Angelo Ogbonna, who is a doubt for Saturday's clash with "a bit of flu".





(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)


Share

2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world