Former manager favourite to secure rival job and could set up West Brom reunion
West Brom had Slaven Bilic in charge in 2019 and he led them to promotion to the Premier League
by Joseph Chapman, https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/authors/joseph-chapman/ · Birmingham LiveSlaven Bilic is the current favourite to fill the vacant Cardiff City job. The former West Brom boss managed Albion from summer 2019 until winter 2020 and in that time guided the club to the Premier League having secured automatic promotion.
The Croatian has since been out in China before returning to England and to the Championship with Watford in 2022; he crossed paths with Carlos Corberan's Baggies one evening at Vicarage Road, in a game which the Hornets ran out 3-2 winners. Bilic didn't see the season out at Watford, though, and spent last season back in Saudi Arabia, where he managed Al-Fateh.
He was sacked, however, back in August, just days before the new season started, because of 'disagreements in strategy'. That was despite the fact that Al-Fateh finished seventh in the Saudi Pro League last season. Now, Bilic is on the look-out for another job and a return to the UK could be on the cards.
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As of this moment, he is the favourite to replace the sacked Erol Bulut in the Welsh capital; the club are bottom of the Championship, having won just one of their opening nine matches, although they have taken four points from their last two games under interim boss Omer Riza, who is second favourite. Sacked bosses Steven Schumacher, Ryan Lowe and Michael Beale are also in the frame.
Bilic would inherit Callum Robinson, if he were to take over; Robinson arrived on loan from Sheffield United at the end of January 2020, incidentally the morning after Bilic's Albion had lost 2-1 to Cardiff. He has a couple of goals to his name this season, including a fine strike in the South Wales derby draw with Swansea City.
Should Bilic land the job in the near future, he could even return to The Hawthorns and reunite with some of his former players for the first time since he left. Albion welcome the Bluebirds to The Hawthorns on Saturday 25 October, following the resumption of the domestic schedule.