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Slaven Bilic makes 'massive' West Brom admission as he looks back
Slaven Bilic has admitted that West Brom are a “massive club” as he has reflected on his time in charge of the Baggies at The Hawthorns.
The Croatian was in charge of Albion between 2019 and 2020 and led West Brom to the Premier League as they finished second behind Leeds in the Championship during the Covid-19-impacted campaign.
Bilic admitted that the lack of fans inside The Hawthorns during the end of the promotion campaign did spoil the achievement slightly, but reflected fondly on his time in the Midlands, admitting that being a part of West Brom “put a smile” on his face.
Writing for The Coaches’ Voice (12 November) he said: “West Brom is a massive club that means a lot to the community. You have a responsibility to those people, and your quality of life depends on your results. But I enjoyed it, big time.
“Fortunately, for us at West Brom, in that 2019/20 season, it clicked. We played good football, and it was Leeds and us in the top two. Then Covid came and, while there were bigger problems in the world, it spoiled it a bit.
“We got promoted, but it wasn’t with the full crowd and everything. Still, I am proud of that promotion, and that we achieved it for the West Brom fans. The Championship is tough, but being a part of it put a smile on my face.”
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Good times
Bilic’s time at The Hawthorns may not have been as long as a lot of West Brom fans had hoped for and the decision to sack him after Albion’s draw to Manchester City in the Premier League still seems like an incredibly bizarre call, but his time with the Baggies was impressive.
The Croatian understood the demands of the Championship and more importantly the demands of West Brom and created a connection with supporters and the side that made the Baggies one of the best outfits in the Championship.
While Carlos Corberan is a very different style of manager and the Spaniard plays a very different brand of football, he is arguably the first manager since Bilic to win over the entirety of the Baggies’ fanbase with an attacking and exciting brand of football.
The only thing missing is that all-important promotion to the Premier League, but the early signs suggest that Corberan is building a team capable of reaching the top flight. Hopefully, he can match Bilic’s exploits on the pitch.
In other West Brom news, Corberan has provided an update on Nathaniel Chalobah’s fitness after his early substitution