Croatia boss wants Premier League job now that his stock is falling

Slaven Bilic’s agent Rudi Vata has claimed that the prospect of managing nouveau-riche Portsmouth “would excite” the former Everton defender:

“Slaven is open to offers and there is interest from Portsmouth. There are different clubs who want him but he is very interested.

“Portsmouth have tried to get in touch, but there is no concrete offer at this stage. But the idea of working with and building the club would excite him.”

The Croatia boss was linked with numerous Premier League posts last year but vowed to wait two years and extended his national team contract until 2010.

Therefore The Spoiler, perhaps cynically, assumes that the sudden change in outlook has been prompted by the fact Croatia are in danger of not even reaching the World Cup Qualifying play-offs, let alone South Africa.

Perhaps Bilic realises that he has to move now while his respectable Euro 2008 campaign is fresh in the memory because in a few months time he’ll be judged on this campaign - which he kicked off with the bold claim: “We are much better [than England] in every possible way” - and nobody will want him.