When you win a match you don’t want the next one for six months so you can keep enjoying the feeling — when you lose, though, you want the next one the day after tomorrow.

Not my words but those of Miroslav Blazevic, Croatia’s most famous ever manager, who led the country to third place at the 1998 World Cup.

It’s certainly true because everyone here at the club would love to enjoy the feeling and emotion of our terrific win at Arsenal to linger longer — but it’s not possible.

When the players came back into the Emirates dressing-room at full-time on Sunday, I said to them: “Guys, it’s a brilliant start and especially against a team like Arsenal but unfortunately it’s only a good beginning rather than a great finish.”

I’m not saying we should forget about that marvellous win, though. No, we have to take everything that is positive from that match in terms of confidence and pattern.

Of course, we need to make good use of that positivity but from the moment the game finished, it would be suicidal to start preening ourselves, thinking: “We are good, bring on Leicester — or Barcelona!”

It was a great start yes but that’s it.

It certainly wasn’t perfect, in fact I wasn’t happy at half-time. I have watched the game again and perhaps the first half was better than I thought at the time but I gave the players more than a little bit of stick at half-time — and there was no better time to do it because we were already 1-0 up.

The best situation in which to criticise your players is either when you are winning or after you have won.

I told them that I can live with the fact that some of the Arsenal players might have better skills, they may well even be the quickest team in the country. However, they looked more hungry than us in that first half, more aggressive, more concentrated on the second ball and that is the department where I know we should be as good, if not better, than them.

The way our players responded in the second half was brilliant. We were much better, all over the pitch.

I wasn’t just delighted with the three points but it was the way we did it, especially towards the end of the game. Yes, they had their moments — they are Arsenal after all — but it wasn’t that we stole that win by tackling them nastily or wasting time because their crowd would have gone mad at that.

Our fans were great, of course, but the proof that we had deserved our win were the home supporters. Our players said some of them applauded them off at the end, which confirms that we had done it in style.

I spoke with Arsene Wenger afterwards in his office. Of course, Arsene was not happy with the result but he did say we deserved it.

Now we have two home games – against Leicester on Saturday and then Bournemouth the week after - and the expectation will be higher. That is normal and it is my job to cope with that.

The other thing is that, although we have some players who are new to the Premier League, they are also experienced, they are from big clubs in France and Italy.

You don’t have to have played in the Premier League to know this is supposed to be the hardest league in the world - that every game is a new challenge.

Arsenal may be better than Leicester but Leicester are good enough as they showed in their opening game against Sunderland.

If we are even five per cent below what we should be we will be in big danger.

I think we will be good, though, because we know we will have to be as compact, as hard, as concentrated, as aggressive, to win this match.

Every game is different but if you are compact, if you are solid, if you defend with numbers, you have a good chance. Some teams may go wide, some, like Arsenal, tend to go more centrally, some play long balls but whatever happens, we need to stay compact defensively.

I have been asked if there has been any reaction back in Croatia or in Turkey where I managed.

Yes, they have been writing about it because in both countries, they follow the Premier League closely but I want to keep this low profile. As I said before, it’s just the start.

Morgan Amalfitano

The news is out that I have disciplined one of my players - Morgan Amalfitano - for a breach of rules. I would just say that my first and foremost job is to protect the whole team - myself, the staff and players.

If I see anything or anyone threatening to harm the atmosphere and transgress those rules, then it has to be stopped. I haven’t changed much - Sam Allardyce had some great rules and I am sure they haven’t changed for a long time. They are basic rules and if they are under threat, then I have to step in. I have to protect the team.

We’ll make sure Reece keeps feet on the ground

Talking about keeping a lid on things, we are going to have to try and manage the situation regarding Reece Oxford, following his terrific Premier League debut for us.

When I was here as a player I remember Joe Cole as a young lad. Joe was too young to train with us but Harry Redknapp told me even then that Sir Alex Ferguson was asking on a daily basis about Joe.

We can’t expect people to ignore Reece after that display. I am 46 years old but he made an impact on me.

I would think that every West Ham supporter and many neutral football fans would feel the same way - it is human nature.

It is natural that some people will go over the top with their reaction, even if Reece himself is totally stable. His environment will change, it is impossible to think otherwise.

We can’t stop that completely but we have to control it, monitor it - manage it. On the pitch is easier, it is just me, my staff and him. Outside, though, it will be more of a challenge.

It has happened also to Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and the one player who coped with it the better than anyone - David Beckham. He was a ‘one-off,’ a showbiz personality but someone who was also so hungry to succeed in football.

For others, however, not only their careers have been ruined but in some cases, their lives.

It is easy not to notice, especially when people keep telling you it’s the managers’ fault, the agents’ fault, the media’s fault. This club have been good at dealing with these situations in the past, though, with Cole, Lampard, Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Jermain Defoe - and they all progressed.