Express & Star

Luke Dowling: Slaven Bilic is the real West Brom deal

Luke Dowling believes head coach Slaven Bilic is the best signing he has made since becoming Albion’s technical director.

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Slaven Bilic (AMA)

Having enjoyed similar roles at both Watford and Nottingham Forest, Dowling joined the Baggies as sporting and technical director back in September 2018.

Since then he has been in charge of the club’s recruitment and has enjoyed an impressive record in the transfer market with players such as Matheus Pereira, Romaine Sawyers and Semi Ajayi proving to be shrewd additions.

But it is the appointment of Bilic that Dowling is most pleased by – with the technical director leading the hunt for a new manager last summer.

“I think he (Bilic) is the best thing that has happened in the 18 months that I have been at the club,” Dowling said.

“When you are compiling manager lists and player lists they can look really good.

“But I only look at a list on what is achievable. I just felt by putting Slaven on the list for the owners and Mark Jenkins in the summer, he was achievable.

“The feeling I got when I first met him in the summer – I knew straight away I wanted him to be our manager.

“He has got this aura about him.

“But he has got that experience as well – hence why we wanted to speak to him.”

Dowling believes Bilic has been a success with Albion because of his man-management skills.

“I think the man-management side of the game can get lost sometimes,” he added. “But the way Slaven manages people is very, very good. The respect level he has got from everyone at the club is massive.”

Meanwhile, the Express & Star understands Albion are not interested in signing Charlton striker Lyle Taylor despite reports to the contrary.