New West Bromwich Albion coach Julian Dicks has praised Baggies boss Slaven Bilic's tactics and his treatment of the players.

The 50-year-old joined the Baggies earlier this month to reunite with Bilic, who he worked with for two years at West Ham United.

Bilic was appointed as the West Brom boss earlier this summer and will likely be targeting promotion to the Premier League this season.

Dicks has known the Croatian since they played together for West Ham in the 1990s and, speaking to wba.co.uk, he praised the new manager's approach.

He said: "I’ve known Slav for a long, long time. We have a great relationship and we’ve stayed in touch.

"Tactically he is very astute and when we were at West Ham he was very calming. Sometimes I think if I’d have been manager I’d have come in and had a go at the players. Sometimes they need that, of course they do, but he was very calming.

"Before, when I managed, if we got beat I’d hammer the players but I took a lot from Slav. Because if you get beat you don’t have to have a go at the players and I took a lot of that with me.

"I think the players I managed were very surprised. From that point of view, he’s really good.”

Dicks added that joining West Brom had been an easy decision.

He said: “He didn’t have to sell it to me, West Brom are a fantastic club with great supporters. I came here with West Ham when Slav was the manager and the supporters were fantastic.”

The Verdict

These comments should be pleasing for West Brom fans.

The Croatian is known as a great man manager but hearing from another coach that he is sharp tactically indicates that the club have made a great choice in giving him the job.

Getting a manager with Bilic's profile was a coup for the Baggies and the fans will be hoping he can propel the team back into the Premier League.

West Brom fell just short last season, losing to Aston Villa in the play-off semi-final, but with their new manager at the helm they're amongst the favourites to seal a return to the English top-flight this season.