West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini has admitted he is happy with the performances from Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena, but insists the duo must keep improving.
The Hammers made it four wins in a row in the Premier League after registering a 2-0 win over relegation battlers Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
Pellegrini’s men climbed to the top-half of the table for the first time this season after first half goals from Robert Snodgrass and Michail Antonio gave them a clear advantage ahead of the interval.
West Ham managed to keep a clean sheet due to the heroics of Lukasz Fabianksi, while both Diop and Balbuena worked in tandem to nullify a spirited Fulham aiming to claw their way back into the game.
Pellegrini admitted he is happy with the performances from Diop and Balbuena so far this term, but insists the duo must keep improving with every passing game.
“I think that they are two very important players and they needed to know what the Premier League is before they started putting in good performances”, Pellegrini told his club’s official website.
“They must continue to improve because they are top players and that is the same for every member of the squad.
“Issa Diop is a very young player, but he is an international player.
“Fabian Balbuena came from South America, but he played for one of the biggest teams in Brazil, so he is used to playing the way I want to play, with his back not so covered and with space behind them.
“I’m very happy with both of them, but I am happy with the squad more than with individual players, particularly as we are in this position in the table after starting the season with no points from the first four games.”
West Ham are just two points adrift off Manchester United in sixth and they can continue the push for a Europa League qualification with a win over Watford on Saturday in the Premier League.
