Slaven Bilic keen to emulate West Brom success at Watford
Slaven Bilic is keen to emulate his Albion success at Watford – as he gets ready to take charge of the Hornets for the first time.
Bilic – who earned promotion in 2019/20 with Albion before being sacked the following season – replaced former Wolves interim boss Rob Edwards, who lost his job at Vicarage Road after just 10 games.
It is Bilic’s first job in England since his Baggies dismissal, having managed for a period in China, and he is keen to bring similar success to Watford, like he had at The Hawthorns.
He said: “Before I went to West Brom, when you are planning, they were on the list. This time it was Watford. With West Brom I had a wonderful season, and I’m ready to do it again with Watford.”
He becomes Watford’s 21st manager in the space of 12 years and fifth in the last calendar year.
But Watford’s record of hiring and firing managers at an unusual rate doesn’t worry the former Baggies boss.
“Of course you need to be given time and time is crucial, time is important,” said Bilic. “It is very common for clubs to change managers but to be fair I think I am in a good position.
“Do you think they appoint managers to sack them? No.
“They are appointing me to have success, everyone talks about sacking manager 16, 17, but I am in a good position, they don’t want to sack me, they want me to do good.
“They have a clear ambition and I feel it so far in the early days here. They provide you with what you need and that is important as a manager.”
