Friday 7 August 2015 17:49, UK
Slaven Bilic insists West Ham are going into the Premier League opener at Arsenal on Sunday full of confidence despite their Europa League defeat to Astra Giurgiu.
The Croat has also told his team he wants a top-half finish in his first season back in English football after replacing Sam Allardyce as manager at Upton Park.
Bilic’s approach to the European campaign was curious as he continually played under-strength teams in the competition.
Although West Ham defeat FC Lusitans from Andorra then scraped past Maltese side Birkirkara on penalties, they came unstuck in Romania on Thursday.
Just as they had in the first leg in London, they went in front only to be pegged back by their opponents.
This time, however, they lost 2-1 on the night after a 2-2 draw last week and were surprisingly knocked out 4-3 on aggregate without getting as far as the group phase.
Although the way West Ham conducted themselves in the tournament has drawn criticism from some quarters, Bilic is adamant his men are in high spirits ahead of the trip to the Emirates.
He said: “Arsenal are a big team, a big club and they have been doing well and have won a trophy already, which is always good.
“They are on a high and are full of confidence but we are very confident we can go there and play good football and get something out of the game.
“Let's say our aim is to be mid-table. Our aim is to be as high as possible and I would say a top-10 finish would be a major success."
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