IT’S POETRY IN EMOTION

SLAVEN BILIC insists his self-belief remains intact despite a desperate run that has left West Ham in a relegation fight. Hammers last week slumped to a new low in a 5-1 defeat by Arsenal and today must visit Liverpool, still wounded by last week’s epic 4-3 loss at Bournemouth. It’s a daunting task for Bilic’s shellshocked troops, but the Croatian believes his men can rise to the challenge. “These situations make you even stronger,” he said. “I have had positions like this before as a manager but I have belief in myself, in my players, and in my ideas.” He revealed that the low he felt after the crushing defeat by Arsenal last week was part and parcel of management. “It is part of the job. It is not the sort of job where you can divide your emotions from private and personal,” said Bilic (left). “If you are a manager, you cannot do the job if you are not emotional. “What you have to do is to be in control of these emotions. “You cannot be a manager and not be emotional.” In August last year West Ham secured the first of three wins over Liverpool last season when they won at Anfield for the first time since 1963. The Londoners won the return league fixture at Upton Park and also an FA Cup replay after drawing at Liverpool. But today bookies give them little chance, making Liverpool 3-10 to collect three points Bilic will remind his players of the triumphant dressing-room vibe after that FA Cup meeting. “The atmosphere was brilliant,” said Bilic “We played them four times in the league and the FA Cup and won three. But we will have to produce a lot to repeat that.” He agreed that a video review of that win will help to boost morale ahead of this afternoon’s clash. “Yes, it helps,” said Bilic. “We shouldn’t be afraid of them. I am going to tell the players what we did there last year. We can’t expect to go there and win just because of that. But a good memory can motivate. We watch those videos – and they are good for motivation.”