AND WE’RE BACK!
Yes, it’s been a while since I last posted here in August, and as the cliché goes, four months is a long time in football. Barcelona almost lost the GOAT but is now out a president instead (there was only going to be one winner in that battle). Sadly, the game also lost the primary reason why so many fans — including plenty in Argentina itself — refuse to bestow that “greatest-of-all-time” title to Messi like I just did. With the death of Maradona, the soccer world said goodbye to its preeminent tragic hero (with George Best likely coming in at a faraway second).
In less sobering yet still mind-boggling headlines, Real Sociedad are three points off the top of La Liga, a 16-year old is starting and scoring for Borussia Dortmund, Weston McKennie is scoring alongside Ronaldo at the Camp Nou, and the United States is well on its way to being crowned back-to-back World Cup champs in Qatar in 2022 and MetLife stadium in 2026 (and I’m not even really joking when it comes to ‘26).
On the other hand, there are also indications that the state of the soccer world has not changed substantially since I went quiet. Liverpool and Bayern are still favorites in the EPL and Bundesliga, respectively (though it does not seem likely Klopp’s men clinch the title with seven games to spare this time around). Most games in the top-5 leagues are still being played behind closed doors (despite intermittent attempts to admit very low-capacity crowds). Most revealing of all, my wish for stories concerning the future of Paul Pogba at Manchester United to disappear will remain unfulfilled barring a Christmas miracle extending into the January transfer window (when the rumors and comments from Mino Raiola should only intensify).
In these unnerving times, however, some previously irritating constants become oddly comforting. As a more contagious mutation of the coronavirus cuts off Britain from the rest of Europe, the annual managerial sacking (or sackings) by a team in the relegation zone, unlike many traditions that often coincide with the holiday season, have not been canceled.
Usually winning a promotion most didn’t see coming, avoiding rock bottom despite being heavily favored to go down, and earning a hard-fought 1-1 draw away at one of the richest teams in the world would at least allow a coach to bide a bit of time.
However, that was not good enough for Slaven Bilic to avoid becoming the first EPL manager relieved of his duties in the 2020-21 season when he was fired Wednesday. Even though the Baggies were sitting 19th after collecting just seven points from 13 games when Bilic was sacked, I very much understand the view held by experts like Micah Richards that the decision was unfair and disrespectful to the Croatian manager. The huge point earned at Manchester City Tuesday strongly suggests that Bilic had not lost the dressing room, especially given the resolve his squad displayed to equalize before halftime and then keep City out for the entirety of the second half.
It’s not like the club let Bilic have free reign in the transfer market either. The fact that Ahmed Hegazi was loaned out to Saudi side Al-Ittihad with an option to buy in October — despite Bilic’s desire to keep him and, according to Bilic, the Egyptian’s desire to stay — lends credence to the claims that West Brom’s assessment of Bilic’s ability to keep the Baggies up was blatantly stacked against him.
Certainly the lone point earned in 14 games by rock-bottom Sheffield United, who challenged for European places last season, suggests West Brom’s situation could have been much worse. After all, the Baggies sat just three points from safety when Bilic was dismissed.
It was also particularly unsavory that Bilic was first informed of his fate when his assistants read reports in the media on the bus trip back from Manchester. The fact that West Brom was unable to have the decency or competency to keep the decision under wraps, especially after a very good result, was to me reminiscent of how Louis Van Gaal was bombarded with reports of Manchester United’s decision to replace him with Jose Mourinho just mere minutes after Van Gaal’s 2015 FA Cup triumph.
That being said, this could still prove to be an astute move by West Brom. The timeline of the decision and announcement comes off as disingenuous and bizarre, but the club probably tried to make the optimal choice after viewing the situation through the lens of trying to squeeze as many points out of the current squad as possible.
The club could very well have made their decision after consecutive losses to Crystal Palace and Newcastle, but making a coaching change right before a trip to the Etihad would have been suicidal. Forcing the squad to adjust to a new manager (briefly appointing one of Bilic’s assistants, who are both long-time associates and fellow Croats, as caretaker manager would have been too awkward and counterintuitive) just a day or so before squaring off against Pep Guardiola’s City would have been asking for a 5 or 6-nil, even if Sam Allardyce’s tactics are not exactly revolutionary.
The move itself could also be a recognition by West Brom technical director Luke Dowling and CEO Xu Ke that the Baggies’ uphill battle to avoid the drop simply required a manager more specialized in relegation battles. The club clearly felt they needed more than a very capable manager with a solid track record. Instead, they needed an expert. They needed “Fireman Sam.”
Allardyce’s list of clubs he has led from the brink of relegation to survival, most recently at Sunderland and Palace (I won’t count Everton), speaks for itself. He can whip teams into shape, something that was dearly needed in the West Midlands given that Bilic’s side had conceded 26 league goals when he was fired, the most in the Premier League (Leeds would take the dubious distinction this past weekend after being hit for six at Old Trafford Sunday).
Big Sam’s first test at The Hawthorns Sunday did not go to plan. Aston Villa scored within five minutes and West Brom midfielder Jack Livermore picked up a red card before halftime in a 3-0 Villa win. With 17th-placed Brighton just five points ahead of the Baggies with 24 games still to play, however, you definitely bet against “Fireman Sam” at your own peril.
West Brom’s decision to sack Bilic may have been overly harsh and premature, but Dowling has emphasized the move was made with the best interests of the club in mind. In a year where club finances are heavily impacted by the loss of in-person attendance, the stakes of Premier League survival — primarily a share in the most lucrative TV contracts in football — have never been higher. There is no time to be lost.
Allardyce is surely not a long term appointment — his last three club appointments have lasted no more than one season. However, if West Brom’s results over the next five months conform to the typical “Big Sam” pattern, Dowling, Ke, and West Brom’s ownership will have their decision validated no matter how long Allardyce stays.
