Former West Bromwich Albion manager Slaven Bilic has shared some insight on his time at the Hawthorns and guiding the Baggies to promotion back to the Premier League.
The West Midlands club were relegated down to the Championship at the end of the 2017/18 campaign but it took just two seasons of second-tier football before the side climbed back to the top flight with Bilic at the helm.
Unfortunately for the Croatian, he was relieved of his duties less than three months into the new season, following a 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, with the side sitting second bottom in the Premier League.
The decision from the board seemed harsh, especially considering West Brom were automatically promoted the season prior by finishing second in the Championship with the third-best defence in the league and the joint-second most potent attack.
Nevertheless, the ex-Watford boss still has fond memories from his time at the Hawthorns but admitted that the interruption from the COVID-19 outbreak “spoiled” the party a little.
Speaking to the Coaches’ Voice, the 55-year-old said [quotes via West Brom News]:
“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.”
Writer’s View
Bilic’s sacking seemed a little harsh at the time and, in hindsight, was perhaps the wrong decision from the board given the Baggies were relegated at the end of the season anyway under Sam Allardyce.
The Croatian is the last head coach to take the club back to the Premier League but maybe Carlos Corberan will follow in his footsteps this season.
