1. Ability to beat the big teams:
In previous seasons, we may have got one or two good results against the big sides, however this year we have beaten all of the top five that we’ve played. So how do we do it? It’s all about the tactics. When teams are away from home they like to sit back and get behind the ball and then counter quickly when they get it. We have done this very well this season, however we just haven’t done it at home. We did it yesterday against Chelsea and they couldn’t break it down. Hazard and Willian were very quiet as were Oscar. The attacking part for this also works really well as Payet, Lanzini and Zarate are all very quick and have a real finesse about them. So when they do get the ball they attack quickly and make it a real pain for the opposition to defend against.
2. Squad depth:
West Ham have never been a team with a good bench. If you look back on our team from a year ago I can guarantee that our bench wasn’t half as good as it is now. In our last couple of games we haven’t had either of our first team centre-backs, however we are still getting the results against these teams. We have players to bring off the bench that can affect the game and change it for the better. Carroll came off the bench against Chelsea and scored the winning goal. However when you look at teams like Chelsea they only had three recognisable players on the bench; the rest I didn’t know.
3. Bilic’s timings:
It seems that Slaven Bilic knows the right time to bring on a player. In most of our games this season he has made a vital substitution or change of tactic at the perfectly right time. Substitutions can completely change a game if they are used at the right time. In previous seasons West Ham fans used to think that Sam Allardyce used to leave it really late and bring on defensive players, however Bilic brings on a good balance.
4. High spirit/morale:
There’s a certain buzz going around the club like never before; a high spirit and high morale. Even though a lot of the first team are new they seem to have jelled really well together. The team don’t play as individuals, they play together as a team. No-one is greedy and no-one is selfish. All we care about is doing it right, and it works and we get the results and whenever the West Ham team comes off that pitch, they are all happy, smiling and waving. They are proud of their performances as they give their all. Every last bit of energy is put into the game.
