Bilic ranked 21st best manager in the world

Four Four Two magazine has ranked Slaven Bilic the 21st best manager in the world, one place above Arsène Wenger

FFT say: “When West Ham decided to part company with Sam Allardyce last summer, it looked like a risk to some. True, the football wasn’t always great, but Allardyce had guided the Hammers from the Championship to an established position in the Premier League. Bolton, Newcastle and Blackburn all went backwards after his departure, each club ultimately suffering relegation.

That West Ham made a significant step forward after Allardyce was testament to the job that Bilic did in his first season at the club. A former West Ham player, he had already developed a fine reputation as a manager after impressing in charge of the Croatian national team and helping Besiktas to victories over Tottenham and Liverpool in Europe.

His debut campaign with West Ham cemented that reputation. Bilic bought well – Dimitri Payet’s £10.7m arrival from Marseille now looks like one of the deals of the century, while Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio were others to impress. Early wins over Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea quickly laid down a marker, as West Ham became the exciting attacking force that their fans had desperately been craving.

That they challenged for Champions League qualification was a surprise – and even though they eventually had to settle for seventh and a place in the Europa League, that in itself was the first time they’d ever qualified directly for one of the mainstream European competitions via the league.

Bilic spent the summer dancing on tables in television studios and proving he’s one of the best pundits around. He’s a pretty decent manager too.”