When you think about Slaven Bilic’s managerial career thus far, the first thing that may spring to mind is the 2015/16 season at West Ham United.
The Croatian returned to the club he once played for to take charge during the last season at the Boleyn Ground, and it was one to remember.
The Hammers finished seventh, just four points off Champions League qualification, and in doing so they earnt a spot in next season’s Europa League qualifying rounds.
The London club owed a lot of their success to one man, and that was Dimitri Payet.
The French playmaker was on fire that term, and his incredible performances earnt him a spot in the PFA Team of the Year.
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Payet must have been a dream for Bilic to work with, and the West Brom manager may have found a new talisman of a similar ilk at the Hawthorns.
A look at the stats shows that Payet’s 2015/16 campaign is eerily similar to Pereira’s performances this term.
For a start, the pair have managed the same number of assists, showing how incredible they are as creative forces, and while Pereira has netted three fewer than Payet, there are still 11 league games to go, so the Brazilian could match that target, or even eclipse it.
The two midfield magicians also have the exact same number of shots per game, and while Pereira dribbles a little less than Payet, he’s not had any trouble in unlocking defences in a similar fashion.
Both men are supremely talented, and while one did it in the Premier League and the other is doing it in the second tier, it’s interesting to see how two attacking midfielders have flourished in the same way under the same manager.
Perhaps it’s just luck that Bilic has been able to get the best out of these two supreme technicians, or it’s more likely a testament to the 51-year-old’s management skills to be able to set his team up to get the most from two creative players.
Either way, West Brom are blessed to have at talent like Pereira in the team. They better hope he signs permanently next summer.
In other news, Jake Livermore has every right to be aggrieved if one newspaper report comes true.