Shockwaves might be too strong a word, but palpable jolts of electrical currents could be felt on Saturday evening across the internet as news broke that Slaven Bilic was suddenly a contender for the Ireland manager job.
Garry Doyle in the Irish Mirror reported Saturday night that 'well-placed sources' have said Bilic is now a 'frontrunner' for the role that has been vacant for three months.
Bilic is currently manager of Al Fateh in the Saudi Premier League, a job he took last summer, and the Mirror report the 55-year-old would be unavailable to start a term as Ireland manager until the Saudi season ends in May.
That's where the information stops and where the daydreaming begins.
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The case for Slaven Bilic
Ireland fans have long grown jaded with the hunt to replace Stephen Kenny, but tonight's news feels like progress in the narrative department, if nothing else.
It's highly likely that by the time this article is published, Bilic's name will be removed from the hat, perhaps by one of his children on Twitter interacting with an Ireland supporter. Even if it must be so, this rumour is still cause for celebration.
Having had endured links to practically every past-it or nearly-past-it manager with Irish links over the past fourteen weeks, Irish supporters have been gifted something gloriously tantalising with this Bilic rumour: the mystery of the unknown.
A charismatic Croatian. Someone who understands the technical side of the game but someone who has been around the Premier League long enough to understand what Irish football is about. Someone who can make Roy Keane laugh.
Even if this leak is merely the FAI doing some kite-flying with supporters, the comments section on Facebook and instagram pages like our ours will tell you that the FAI are flying their kites right here.
Unlike the 24 hours of Chris Coleman, there's reasonable excitement about this rumour.
Now here is where reality kick in.
A pay packet for Bilic could be one issue for an association that couldn't convince Lee Carsley to leave the FA. Presumably Bilic is earning a tidy sum to work in the Saudi League, although his roster at Al-Fateh is comprised largely of Saudi players bar Belgium's Jason Denayer.
The other is Bilic's own career arc. Bilic managed to get West Brom promoted in the forgotten-about covid season before being sacked just before Christmas in 2021. He took a job in China then returned to England last season to manage Watford. He did not complete the season and was sacked in March. He took the Saudi role in July.
Bilic does have some a track record of success in international football, having managed Croatia for six years. He had a front row seat to Ireland's implosion at Euro 2012 while managing his home country.
Were he to get the job, Bilic's clearest parallel as Ireland manager would be his foe that day, Giovanni Trapattoni: a charismatic outsider who's achieved much in the game, trying to restore some pride in an Ireland team that's down on its luck.
It doesn't seem like it would end well, but Bilic as Ireland manager would definitely get people talking.
