Good article by Rob Shepherd on Claret & Hugh
Slaven Bilic made no bones when he was asked on his appointment by the West Ham owners what his priority in the transfer market was.
A top centre half was Bilic’s reply.
The club were under the impression they were well stocked in that area with Winston Reid, James Tomkins, James Collins, and emerging young players Reece Burke, Doneil Henry, Reece Oxford plus the ability of Cheikhou Kouayae to slot in at centre back.
But Bilic was adamant. Which is why his first main target has been Juventus centre back Angelo Ogbonna who is now on the brink of signing for the Hammers.
Born to Nigerian parents in the Italian town of Cassino Ogbonna began his career with Torino and has won 10 Italian caps but has struggled to hold down a regular place in the Juve side. But that’s largely because he has players of the calibre of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini have been ahead of him in the pecking order.
On the face of it he might not be the stellar first signing Hammers fans had hoped for but at £8 million it could prove a shrewd bit of business by Bilic who is adamant that you have to build a team from the back.
He is right of course. And those who have interpreted Bilic’s strategy as somehow similar to the Sam Allardyce approach are misguided.
Bilic will promote expansive attacking football, he wants flair in the final third, he wants to win with some panache but to do that he insists you need a solid foundation.
It is of course the way all successful team are built.
Brian Clough built some of the most exciting attacking teams at Derby and Nottingham Forest in the Seventies and Eighties but he always focussed on his back four first.
That was the Liverpool way …Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson…. were just as key to the club’s success as Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush or John Barnes.
And when Alex Ferguson convinced the Manchester United board he needed to spend big to rebuild the team then his first big money buy was Gary Pallister…then of course some years later he broke the British transfer record at the time to sign Rio Ferdinand.
And look at how Jose Mourinho build his teams. There are those of course who have labelled his Chelsea boring. Really ?
Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas produced some sublime football last season. But they could only do that with the insurance of warriors like John Terry , Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic behind them.Yes Chelsea are mean at the back. And why not ? It won them the title.
As a centre half himself Bilic might be a bit biased but it’s the way all good teams are constructed ; from the foundations up.
Even Hammers fans who get misty eyed about the West Ham Way should know that.
West Ham struggled in the late Sxities and early Seventies despite all the attacking talent because after Ken Brown retired Bobby Moore lacked a decent partner. And when Mooro left Tommy Taylor lacked a consistent regular partner.
It was only when Alvin Martin and Billy Bonds , later Tony Gale got together that the team enjoyed a period of success
For a certain generation names like Alan Stephenson , John Cushley or Bill Green Paul Hilton and Joe Gallagher make them whince.
And the irony of the Allardyce’s final season was that so many points were dropped as a consequence of conceding late goals one of the things you would have though Big Sam would have sorted.
Bilic has studied plenty of footage of last season and has clearly concluded the team is not strong enough at the centre of defence.
He feels that he has to sort that out before he can start thinking about adding some colour and gloss higher up the pitch. It’s not necessarily negative focussing on the back four first. It’s just setting up a team from a solid base. That’s plain sensible.
That is why he has targeted Ogbonna whose best assets are regarded as his physical power and pace. At 27 he is experienced too and coming from Serie A ought to know a thing or two about the art of defending.
Should Ogbonna sign then it is understood he would start the season alongside Winston Reid.
With the likes of Burke Oxford and Henry coming through where would that leave James Tomkins and James Collins ? Fighting their West Ham futures I would suggest. Slav’s priorities may leave some noses out of joint!
Bilic’s ruthless streak will mean he will show no sentiment to the service both Tomkins and Collins have given.
The heart of the defence is the rock on which the rest of the team can be built. That is Bilic’s philosophy or in other words it’s about getting Back(bone) to the Future.
Slaven Bilic made no bones when he was asked on his appointment by the West Ham owners what his priority in the transfer market was.
A top centre half was Bilic’s reply.
The club were under the impression they were well stocked in that area with Winston Reid, James Tomkins, James Collins, and emerging young players Reece Burke, Doneil Henry, Reece Oxford plus the ability of Cheikhou Kouayae to slot in at centre back.
But Bilic was adamant. Which is why his first main target has been Juventus centre back Angelo Ogbonna who is now on the brink of signing for the Hammers.
Born to Nigerian parents in the Italian town of Cassino Ogbonna began his career with Torino and has won 10 Italian caps but has struggled to hold down a regular place in the Juve side. But that’s largely because he has players of the calibre of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini have been ahead of him in the pecking order.
On the face of it he might not be the stellar first signing Hammers fans had hoped for but at £8 million it could prove a shrewd bit of business by Bilic who is adamant that you have to build a team from the back.
He is right of course. And those who have interpreted Bilic’s strategy as somehow similar to the Sam Allardyce approach are misguided.
Bilic will promote expansive attacking football, he wants flair in the final third, he wants to win with some panache but to do that he insists you need a solid foundation.
It is of course the way all successful team are built.
Brian Clough built some of the most exciting attacking teams at Derby and Nottingham Forest in the Seventies and Eighties but he always focussed on his back four first.
That was the Liverpool way …Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson…. were just as key to the club’s success as Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush or John Barnes.
And when Alex Ferguson convinced the Manchester United board he needed to spend big to rebuild the team then his first big money buy was Gary Pallister…then of course some years later he broke the British transfer record at the time to sign Rio Ferdinand.
And look at how Jose Mourinho build his teams. There are those of course who have labelled his Chelsea boring. Really ?
Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas produced some sublime football last season. But they could only do that with the insurance of warriors like John Terry , Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic behind them.Yes Chelsea are mean at the back. And why not ? It won them the title.
As a centre half himself Bilic might be a bit biased but it’s the way all good teams are constructed ; from the foundations up.
Even Hammers fans who get misty eyed about the West Ham Way should know that.
West Ham struggled in the late Sxities and early Seventies despite all the attacking talent because after Ken Brown retired Bobby Moore lacked a decent partner. And when Mooro left Tommy Taylor lacked a consistent regular partner.
It was only when Alvin Martin and Billy Bonds , later Tony Gale got together that the team enjoyed a period of success
For a certain generation names like Alan Stephenson , John Cushley or Bill Green Paul Hilton and Joe Gallagher make them whince.
And the irony of the Allardyce’s final season was that so many points were dropped as a consequence of conceding late goals one of the things you would have though Big Sam would have sorted.
Bilic has studied plenty of footage of last season and has clearly concluded the team is not strong enough at the centre of defence.
He feels that he has to sort that out before he can start thinking about adding some colour and gloss higher up the pitch. It’s not necessarily negative focussing on the back four first. It’s just setting up a team from a solid base. That’s plain sensible.
That is why he has targeted Ogbonna whose best assets are regarded as his physical power and pace. At 27 he is experienced too and coming from Serie A ought to know a thing or two about the art of defending.
Should Ogbonna sign then it is understood he would start the season alongside Winston Reid.
With the likes of Burke Oxford and Henry coming through where would that leave James Tomkins and James Collins ? Fighting their West Ham futures I would suggest. Slav’s priorities may leave some noses out of joint!
Bilic’s ruthless streak will mean he will show no sentiment to the service both Tomkins and Collins have given.
The heart of the defence is the rock on which the rest of the team can be built. That is Bilic’s philosophy or in other words it’s about getting Back(bone) to the Future.