Slaven Bilic explains why he's left guitar in Croatia amid Watford's promotion bid
Back in the day, Bilic played in a five-piece band who produced a Croatian football anthem - but now he's calling the tune at Vicarage Road and has already added a famous derby win to his greatest hits
Slaven Bilic hasn't picked up his his Gibson Explorer rhythm guitar since joining Watford because he's been too busy sorting out the riff from the smooth.
In his other incarnation, between a distinguished playing career and moving into management, the Hornets' head coach played in five-piece rock band Rawbau. Back in the day, their song Vatrino Ludilo (translation: Fiery Madness) became a Croatian football anthem, and Bilic's stock at Vicarage Road rose immeasurably in the fiery madness of Watford's 4-0 derby demolition of neighbours Luton last weekend.
If he can solve the riddle of his team's model inconsistency – they have not won two consecutive games for 18 months, or two in a row in front of fans since December 2019 – it would be one of his greatest hits. Bilic is planning to add fellow West Ham legend Julian Dicks, with whom he worked as Hammers boss until they sacked him five years ago, almost to the day, to his staff.
And when he has put the band back together, Watford – three points outside the play-offs - may yet summon the firepower to sustain a third promotion to the top flight in eight years.
He doesn't enjoy questions about his guitar hero alter-ego, but a bit of rock star magic aligns him with the club's most celebrated fan, a 75-year-old pianist of extravagant talent and wardrobe.
“Look, I was never a rock star,” protested Bilic. “I play the guitar as a hobby like everybody has a hobby. I played when I was having a break between being a player and a manager. Bill Clinton played saxophone, but that didn't mean he couldn't do his job as President of the United States.
“My hobby is guitar music and it has helped me in my career, but there is less time to do it now. I still have the guitar at home in Croatia, but I didn't bring it over here. To be fair, the demands of being a manager haven't changed that much because it was always a 24/7 job.
“And today in the world there are very few jobs where you can just go home and forget about work. It's basically the same, although the staff is bigger, so if you trust them you can delegate more, but as a manager you are more or less a control freak and you want to be involved in everything.”
Bilic, a law graduate who speaks four languages fluently – Croatian, English, German and Italian – has coached as far afield as Moscow, Istanbul, Jeddah, Beijing and West Bromwich. He was also the Croatia national team boss who turfed England off the road to Euro 2008 on the night Steve McClaren sheltered from teeming rain under an umbrella and was christened the 'wally with a brolly.'
Now 54, Bilic was unaware of a camera trained on him for the whole 90 minutes as Joao Pedro, Keinan Davis and Ismaila Sarr put the Hatters to the sword, kicking every ball and nodding every header. “You can't help it – you are what you are,” he shrugged. “You can take a tablet to calm yourself down or drink a Red Bull to lift you up. Who are the most excited ones (on the touchline) in the Premier League – Klopp, Conte, Pep? All three of them are not wild, but they are wilder than me because every manager has emotion.
“And if you stay sat down for 90 minutes, it doesn't mean you have no passion.”
Bilic is acutely aware of Watford's oscillating form, which has cost a platoon of head coaches their jobs under owner Gino Pozzo's regime, although hostility towards the players was suspended by the Hornets' biggest home win against the infidel. This weekend's trip to troubled Wigan may answer the doubters, but Bilic warned: “We should take a lot out of the Luton game, but every game is a new chapter, every game is a challenge where you have to answer new questions.
“I am confident because I have seen us play some really good football since I arrived – not all the time - and the difference between really good players and average ones is not necessarily quality unless they add consistency.”
*Watford captain Tom Cleverley will be out until 2023 after an operation on his left achilles tendon. He has been out since scoring the winner against Burnley on August 12.
