Some Celtic fans give their say on Slaven Bilic link

By David Walton

May 15, 2019

Some Celtic supporters have been giving their reactions to the Slaven Bilic link on social media.

The former West Ham United and Croatia manager was yesterday linked with the Celtic manager’s job by the BBC. Bilic has been out of work since leaving Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ittihad in February.

Slaven Bilic did well at West Ham before moving to the London Stadium (Kieran Galvin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The speculation comes just two weeks before the end of Celtic’s current campaign. Neil Lennon’s side round off their Premiership schedule with a trophy day clash against Hearts, and then end the season with the Scottish Cup final against the Jambos on May 25th.

But supporters’ attention yesterday was on the Bilic rumour. And giving their reaction to the news on social media, the opinions were generally positive.

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A left-field but ambitious swoop

Yesterday we gave our full verdict on what a swoop for Bilic would mean for Celtic.

Bilic is still a hero in Croatia for reviving the national team (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images)

Overall, it would be an ambitious appointment from the outside. It wouldn’t be a decision many Celtic fans would’ve expected, but it follows on from the high-profile appointment of Brendan Rodgers nicely. Bilic is of similar stature, and would be equally as intriguing.

What may put some supporters off is his record at Lokomotiv Moscow and Besiktas respectively. He’s yet to win a league title in his managerial career, and that could also be a turnoff for some. But it may also be something that helps intice Bilic to Celtic too.

Bilic’s track record is impressive enough to warrant serious consideration (Handout/UEFA via Getty Images)

His track record with Croatia and West Ham is enough for him to be considered as a serious candidate. His work during his first year at the Hammers was particularly notable. He broke several records during that period, including the most points and goals in one season than West Ham had ever previously achieved in the Premier League era.

From the likes of Reece Oxford to Luka Modric, he’s also shown a willingness to throw young players into his teams in the past too. That could suit some of the players in the Celtic academy looking to break through.

This is one of the most impressive names to have been linked with the job. If Celtic were to take the plunge on Bilic, it would hardly be lacking in ambition. What more could we, as supporters, really ask for?