Andre Ayew claimed Slaven Bilic’s half-time team talk inspired West Ham's miracle Wembley comeback over Tottenham.
The Croat manager was facing the sack with his side 2-0 down to Tottenham after a terrible opening 45 minutes.
But the Hammers were revitalised after the break as Ayew netted twice and Angelo Ogbonna headed home the winner to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
Ayew said: “We stayed confident. We were down but the coach had the words.
"We knew if we scored early in the second half we’d have a chance. I want to congratulate the whole team, it’s a massive win.
Bilic said: “I told them at half-time we were not doing a lot wrong in the first half.
I told them to calm down and use the ball better.
“We reacted in the most brilliant way. The lads believed it. Goals are always key, they give the whole team energy and our crosses started to be world class. It is a great night for the club.”
Captain Mark Noble added: “Being 2-0 down not only against Spurs but any team is a massive mountain to climb.
"We have not been doing ourselves justice but I said during the week we have to wear the shirt with pride and we did that.”
The Hammers now face a crunch match on Saturday away to fellow strugglers Crystal Palace and Bilic hopes this victory can spark a revival.
"It can give us a lot of confidence, but only to do the same in training, to do the same on Friday, on Saturday," said Hammers boss Bilic.
"We have to use this opportunity to work hard. We have two days before Palace, it's not ideal but the win gives you energy, gives you freshness.
"Now tomorrow at the training ground nobody is going to feel tired, from the impact of our result, from beating them."
Bilic added said his players have now set the standard they must maintain.
"Other than Brighton, we improved a lot in the last six games," Bilic said. "This should be the standard for us in terms of closing down, in terms of sacrificing for the team.
"Some games we may lose, but I am quite positive we are improving."
Mauricio Pochettino had previously said he was prioritising the "real trophies" of the Champions League and Premier League this season and he chose to rest the likes of Harry Kane, Hugo Lloris and Jan Vertonghen.
But Spurs are still yet to lift a trophy under his leadership and this was a chance missed to reach the quarter-finals of a competition they could realistically have won.
"We allowed them to come back into the match," said boss Pochettino, whose side play Manchester United in the league on Saturday.
"In the first half it was under control. In the second half, we lost a bit of the aggression. They have players that are always dangerous.
"We showed a lack of aggression and everything we were doing in the first half. You can never lose your focus."