I’m all for a returning hero. Thierry Henry’s goal against Leeds in the FA Cup, Jose Mourinho’s successful season this time around at Chelsea, Shaun Wright-Phillips returning to Manchester City….

Slaven Bilic’s return to East London is somewhere between these categories. Will he be a hailed conquering hero or will his return be another piece of evidence for the old football adage ‘you should never go back’?

Bilic only spent one season at West Ham, so he’s hardly a club legend in the true sense of the word, but he’s certainly highly regarded. The West Ham board had trouble with the fans throughout Sam Allardyce’s tenure, so the appointment of a man thought of with some esteem by the fans is a shrewd move. Bilic will, surely, be given time to ease into life at his new club – just in time for the move to the Olympic Stadium. These really should be exciting times for the Hammers.

But is Bilic a good enough manager to take over at a club that should have lofty ambitions?

Bilic is best known in the managerial world as the manager of Croatia, of course. As Croatia manager he was known as a studious coach, who perused the games of his opponents and set his team up accordingly.

[ffc-gal cat=”west-ham” no=”5″]

Under his management, Croatia rose up the World rankings, knocked England out of Euro 2008 and became one of the most feared teams in Europe. Bilic has led his country to three major Championships and lots of praise. It’s not just Bilic’s success at Croatia that make him a good candidate for most jobs these days, it’s his experience too.

But simply having experience and even success doesn’t automatically make you a good fit. Bilic, however, has something that lots of other managers don’t. He’s one of the few managers in football who carry an aura around them. He exudes something, a kind of charisma.

Jose Mourinho has it, when he comes into the club, all eyes are on him and he has something to say. But you also know that he knows what he’s doing. The same goes for Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola. Even Jurgen Klopp has something about him. Klopp is probably a good comparison in this regard.

The ‘heavy-metal’ former Dortmund manager exudes the same kind of charisma as Bilic. Less ‘rock’ in his approach to football, his off-field activities give him an image. He’s well known for his interest in music, not only playing in his band Rawbau – it’s not as bad as you probably think – but also suggesting his players find music in order to help the relax.

That’s where the comparison with Klopp comes in of course, the beardy hipster-like manager with an interest in something cool. But Bilic also has a law degree. He’s a hipster with substance.

So there’s just something about Slaven Bilic that seems to make him a great fit for the Premier League. It’s the man himself rather than his style of football or his CV. After Croatia he never really achieved much in club management. But his temperament and his persona, his ability to garner media attention and his obvious intelligence make him someone who will surely thrive in a league that’s so much more ‘box-office’ than Turkey or Russia.

The eyes of the world will be on Bilic, not on his players, and that’s no bad thing. The players will get their space because Bilic will be the name on everyone’s lips.

Bilic may just be the right man at the right time for West ham. They are now established again in the Premier League after their relegation, and their fans were unhappy with the style of play under Allarcye. They have a point, West Ham’s tradition is one of attacking, easy-to-watch football, but even despite the low points of last season it’s something of a luxury to complain about the style of football your team plays. It shows that West Ham aren’t in a terrible position, they just need a manager who fits the club better than Big Sam.

West Ham should be happy they’re in a good place for the future, and should be excited that, in Bilic, they have a manager who will have the team playing in the style that the fans want to see.

[n5lbanner type=”london”]

[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]

[interaction id=“none”]