Never change, West Ham's Slaven Bilic tells England new boy Michail Antonio
Slaven Bilic has held talks with Michail Antonio to ensure the England new boy sticks to what he does best.
West Ham winger Antonio was the surprise inclusion in Sam Allardyce's first England squad for last week's opening World Cup qualifier in Slovakia.
Although he did not get on the pitch, Hammers boss Bilic is concerned that an international call-up can have a detrimental effect on a player's lifestyle and training regime.
So Bilic has taken the 26-year-old former Nottingham Forest and Reading man to one side and told him not to change the things that got him England recognition in the first place.
"We've had a few talks. On Wednesday I spoke with him a bit," revealed Bilic.
"Make no mistake, he was confident before, he's a very confident lad.
"All he has to do now is not to change - not to change the way he plays, the way he trains, everything, and we have to help him with that.
"I think it will give him more motivation and more confidence. But the key for him, and I told him yesterday, is not to forget which way of training and playing gave him the opportunity to be called into the England squad.
"You have examples of players, they get it as a new motivation to do better. They think 'if I do more sit-ups, if I concentrate more, if I eat better, I can become a regular'.
"For some reason there are players who have overdone it. They change the way they are behaving, they change the way they are playing and they change the way they are training.
"They are basically forgetting that because of that particular way of living they got their chance. I'm not talking about Michail now, of course, but that's why the talk is necessary. You talk to those players.
"Sometimes the player doesn't change but their environment changes or their friends change. It is very dangerous for some of the players but that's why I spoke to him and that's why we going to keep having talks all the time.
"We spoke yesterday and now, knowing him, he's going to put the pedal down and try to become (an England) regular. He's going to do everything."
Antonio will line up for the Hammers against Watford on Saturday with Bilic looking for a second win of the season.
Fit-again Dimitri Payet is set to start for the Hammers, alongside new signing Simone Zaza.
Meanwhile, Watford manager Walter Mazzarri feels he now has the complete squad needed to hold their own in the Premier League.
Italian Mazzarri replaced Quique Sanchez Flores over the summer, and the Hertfordshire club have been busy in the transfer market.
Argentina midfielder Roberto Pereyra, Nigeria forward Isaac Success and Dutch defender Daryl Janmaat have all come to Vicarage Road, along with Jerome Sinclair from Liverpool and Younes Kaboul from Sunderland, while Adrian Mariappa has rejoined after being released by Crystal Palace.
With plenty of new additions, Mazzarri is confident the Hornets can soon start to move up the league table, having yet to win any of their opening three league games ahead of the trip to West Ham.
"We can say that from this week the job that I perform can be judged. I like to work with a group that I chose myself, and I'm very happy with this one," Mazzarri said at a press conference.
"I am very happy, because now we have the complete squad. Now we know exactly what the group is, who makes part of the group.
"It feels like everything has started now, the training that I want and the group that I want.
"Perhaps we are still delayed one or two weeks of preparation, but now I know we are very competitive and hopefully starting from tomorrow we will start to do a great competition."
Striker Odion Ighalo remained at the club, despite speculation concerning a big-money move to Shanghai SIPG in China.
Mazzarri is glad to be able to continue to count on the Nigeria forward, who scored 17 goals last season.
"The club decides on the transfer market. I am not the one deciding on if a player stays or not,' Mazzarri said on Friday.
"I decide on the team I have, but I am very happy that Ighalo stayed with us.
"Of course, we're all happy that Ighalo decided to stay here and we are all happy that Ighalo is still here because he's an extremely important player for the team."
Source: PAR
