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Cape Town - West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has implored Marko Arnautovic to work harder for the team because he believes in the playmaker's ability to produce more.
The Austrian signed for the Hammers from Stoke City in the off-season but hasn't quite made the impact he would've liked since making the move.
The 28-year-old was sent off with a straight red card in the second Premier League game of the season, ruling him out of the Newcastle and Huddersfield fixtures, and has thus far only created goals in the EFL Cup, two assists against Bolton on Tuesday.
Bilic believes Arnautovic has what it takes to make a real difference for West Ham this season, but wants to see him make more of an effort.
“I want him to do more,” Bilic told the club's official website. “He has got that quality, he has got that extra, he is that kind of a player and he knows that I like him, but sometimes he gets happy with the few things that he does and I want him to continue like this and push the borders, because he is unstoppable when he receives those kind of balls.
“He received it maybe 15 times and five or six times he did a great job, with two assists, but sometimes he is happy just to pass it back or do a little trick. I know what he is capable of. He should never be happy, in a positive way, if you know what I mean. Did he do the job on Tuesday? Of course, and that’s why we got him.
“I think he was determined to do well after he was sent-off last month and this was a good beginning of the comeback for him, but there is no point or reason to stop, to go ‘OK, I’ve done the job’.”
