Slaven Bilic delivered a frank assessment of West Ham United’s performance in their hard-earned 1-0 defeat of Birkirkara.
The Croat, in charge of his first match after replacing Sam Allardyce in the close season, was pleased with his side’s performance, especially in the opening half, but acknowledged that Birkirkara offered his team a much sterner challenge than Andorra’s Lusitans.
“We knew that it was going to be like this. On one hand we had to be quick but on the other hand we also had to be patient because they were going to be with the whole team behind the ball, they were going to waste time and try to keep the ball when we gave it to them,” Bilic said.
“They have quality and are totally different to the Andorran team (FC Lusitans) and, to be fair, I was really pleased with the way we played in the first half.
“We were just missing a little bit of quality up front and, when we hit the woodwork and with a couple of other chances, a little bit of luck.
“In the second half we lost our patience. I wanted the ball to go wide and get around them and make them tired, create better crosses or go inside the box with the ball.
“In the last 15 minutes we started to do it again and we had a few chances, had a few shots and corners and in the end we got the goal that we totally deserved to score.
“We kept a clean sheet, which we were expecting, but in these games you can lose shape and concede a goal. Now, we have a good result, not a smashing result but I’m quite confident we’re going through.”
Bilic added: “We still have respect for the stage we are playing on and our opponents.
“I am not saying it is going to be the same squad in Malta, but it is the game which we will try to put the best team.”
Inverness or FC Astra next
Yesterday, West Ham were handed a potential tie against Scottish rivals Inverness Caledonian Thistle, should they eliminate Birkirkara and progress to the third qualifying round.
However, Inverness will have to overturn a 1-0 deficit against FC Astra, of Romania, after losing at home in the first leg on Thursday.
Third qualifying round draw
FC Zurich vs Cherno More Varna/Dinamo Minsk
Kairat Almaty/Alashkert vs HNK Rijeka/Aberdeen
FC Dacia Chisinau/MSK Zilina vs FC Vorksla Poltava
AZ Alkmaar vs Istanbul Basaksehir
Bordeaux vs AEK Larnaca
Lokomotiva Zagreb/PAOK vs FC Spartak Trnava/Linfield
Sampdoria vs FK Vojvodina/FK Spartaks Jurmala
Slovan Liberec vs Hapoel Kiryat Shmona
Athletic Bilbao vs FH Hafnarfjordur/Inter Baku
Targu Mures vs Saint-Etienne
FK Kukesi/FK Mladost Podgorica vs Legia Warsaw/Botosani
FK Cukaricki/Qabala FK vs Apollon Limassol/FK Trakai
FK Jelgava/FK Rabotnicki vs Trabzonspor/FC Differdange
Skonto FC/Debreceni vs KR Reykjavík/Rosenborg
Charleroi SC/Beitar Jerusalem vs FC Zorya Luhansk
Shakhtyor Soligorsk/Wolfsberger vs Borussia Dortmund
Beroe Stara Zagora/Brondby vs Jagiellonia Bialystok/AC Omonia
FK Jablonec vs FC Copenhagen/Newtown AFC
Sturm Graz vs Rubin Kazan
AIK Solna/FC Shirak vs Atromitos
SCR Altach vs Vitoria SC
Hapoel Beer Sheva/FC Thun vs FC Vaduz/Nomme Kalju
Randers/IF Elfsborg vs Shamrock Rovers/Odds BK
Standard Liege vs Ferencvaros/FK Zeljeznicar
NK Koper/Hajduk Split vs FK Mlada Boleslav/Stromsgodset IF
Belenenses vs Slask Wroclaw/IFK Gothenburg
Southampton vs Vitesse
West Ham United/Birkirkara vs Inverness CT/Astra Giurgiu
FC Krasnodar vs Slovan Bratislava/University College Dublin
First legs: July 30. Second legs: August 6.
Play-off round draw: August 7.