What fans are saying about the idea of Slaven Bilic at Celtic

By David Walton

December 16, 2020

The decision by West Bromwich Albion to sack Slaven Bilic today has certainly got the footballing world talking, with many questioning where his next destination will be.

From a Celtic perspective, this happens at an interesting time. As the board continues to throw its weight behind Neil Lennon, you can’t help but feel he’s still on the brink. The season has been a disaster so far and there’s absolutely no hiding from it.

With the board confirming that things will be reviewed in January, possibilities open up. And the prospect of Bilic perhaps moving to Celtic should Lennon fail to impress between now and next month is a plausible one.

Bilic has previously been linked with the Hoops job remember. Back in 2019 before Lennon was appointed, it was reported that he was interested (BBC). This was apparently due to the club’s size and tradition. However, Celtic moved on.

Bilic has a CV that contains impressive spells with West Ham, West Brom, and undoubtedly the highlight – Croatia. However, his rollercoaster managerial career has had its downsides. His failure to make Lokomotiv Moscow a decent force in Russia stands out. The same goes for his forgetful run with Besiktas.

A mixed CV

His spell with Al-Ittihad barely gets a mention too. No wonder – it only lasted five months. There would undoubtedly be a risk in appointing Bilic. But as much as his failures in the game exist, they’re still trumped by his achievements.

He left the Croatia managerial hot seat as an icon. His superb performance at Euro 2008 really pushed Croatian football forward. You could say he provided the springboard for their success at recent international tournaments. He did out them back on the map after all.

He also left West Ham as, statistically, their best ever Premier League manager (Coventry Telegraph). Not forgetting the fact that Bilic guided West Brom to promotion in convincing fashion too.

For the umpteenth time – we all want Lennon to succeed. We all want him to go on a ridiculous winning run and take the 10. But we’re not going to shoot ourselves for taking a look at potential options. Bilic is one of those.

Slaven Bilic (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)

With a review period coming up next month, Celtic’s board will have a decision to make. And, even at this early stage, it appears many are in favour of bringing Slaven to Glasgow.

Here’s a look at some of the reactions from fans both for and against the idea (and not just Celtic ones either).

https://twitter.com/aboutceltic/status/1339228463933353984

https://twitter.com/Murphhyy_/status/1339189749018406918

https://twitter.com/AJThoms214/status/1339238931959848960