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SEAGULLS AIMING TO FLY HIGH AGAIN
By Mike Holden
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Russell Slade knows a thing or two about League One - he guided Yeovil to the play-off final two years ago, then he rescued Brighton from the brink of relegation at the end of last season. This week he spoke to Mike Holden about his thoughts on the division at the club's Falmer training ground...
There was an element of predictability to the division last season with the four teams who headed the betting finishing in the top four places. Did you think that gulf was noticeable and do you expect the teams on the biggest budgets to be dominating once again?
To be honest, in response to that, I've got to say that Leeds are in this league for the third year running and who would have suggested that two years ago? Unpredictable events will always happen. All I will say is that it helps if you've got a monetary advantage, there's no question about that. But it will remain a tough league, I'm sure. Resources are important at any level but I don't think you can buy success. Manchester City have spent an absolute fortune, for example, but it's not going to guarantee them a top-four slot.
The other noticeable theme in League One last season was the incredible turnover of managers. Do you think the general instability in the division harms the standard of football?
Yeah, I think so. And it's interesting that so many managers who moved on last season have since been snapped up by other clubs at this level, which suggests they haven't really done a great deal wrong. But that's the nature of the beast at this level. In the Premier League, they're signing players on four and five-year deals, whereas at our level the turnover of players and managers is fairly rapid. Players are on one-year deals, two years maximum. That's just how it is. Whether that affects the turnover of managers because players are moving on so quickly from club to club, I don't know. But what you would say is that those teams who have opted for stability in our league have done quite well. I'm thinking of Peterborough, for example. They have kept the nucleus of a good squad together and have been rewarded. Then there's Scunthorpe. They also persisted with their manager when others maybe wouldn't have. And they're the clubs who have been that little bit more successful.
It was quite an escape you pulled off to avoid relegation at the end of last season. Did you fear the worst at any stage? And what was it you found that made the difference in the end?
Of course there were times when you questioned whether, as a side, we'd be capable of staying up. However, I just believed that we would. It was the time scale that was the major concern. It was only 13 games that I had left when I arrived, which isn't much time to turn a football club around. But we just about did it in the nick of time. In the end, we had a good work ethic. I brought Gary Dicker in on loan, that was the only signing I made, although there were a number of loan signings made the week before I came in, players who I knew about, while I dragged another player back from a second division club. We changed the shape around a little bit and thankfully it worked. You can't put your finger on one thing, though. There were several reasons why we managed to turn it around in the end.
You seem to be quite fancied by the bookmakers this time around but there's been a huge turnover of players during the summer. Do you think punters who are weighing up your chances should take that into consideration?
Yes, massively into consideration. I think people should understand that the club's going through a transition. As you say, there's been a massive turnover of players. Seventeen have gone in total, 15 got released in oneday and two have gone since then. We've brought seven in to date, so it's a big settling-in period and we're miles away from where we need to be. It's a major rebuilding programme that's going on.
How do you prepare for a pre-season with so many new players coming into the club? Is it much different from any other pre-season?
In terms of the material and how you go about your pre-season, it's not too much different. However, the biggest thing is learning about your players, and your players learning about each other. To do that, they've got to have minutes on the pitch. You've got to play them in different positions. You've got to learn as much as you can pre-season because, once the league starts, you can't start experimenting then. You've got to know exactly where you are with them. You've got to know what players can do for you and what they can't do. So this pre-season, especially in the games, has been a little bit of trial and error.
From the outside looking in, it would appear the job you have here is quite different to the job you had at Yeovil, at least in terms of resources. Would you agree with that?
The support and the back-up behind the scenes would be the biggest difference between the two football clubs. But on the football side, you're ultimately striving for the same objective: to get your team as far up that league as possible. Two seasons ago, I got Yeovil to the play-off final and I've no doubt in my mind that this club will be competitive and we'll find ourselves in a position to get out of this league given time. Of course, you want it to happen sooner rather later but that's what we're striving for.
Everybody knows what a big thing it will be when Brighton eventually move to Falmer in two years' time, but does that put pressure on you to get them into the Championship ahead of that date?
Yeah, it might do. I think people try to associate Championship football with a certain type of stadium and I think that can be a little bit misleading. The priority needs to be the team on the pitch. The stadium will be fantastic and after 11 years in the wilderness, the supporters of this football club bloody deserve it - that's a fact. However, it's important that we get a team together that is capable of gracing that stadium, regardless of what division we're in. To put the two together is wrong really. The focus initially has got to be to rebuild the team and then, one day, transfer that team into the new stadium rather the other way around.
There's been a lot of negativity surrounding games at the Withdean in recent years and that's impacted badly on the club's home record. Would you say that's one of the biggest problems you have to address this season?
Yeah. I think there needs to be a return to the early days at the Withdean when results were very positive, when the football club won more home games than it lost. I have to say, when I've come to the Withdean with other teams, I've done rather well. So I know what it's like from the other side, when other managers and teams come here feeling confident. We need to get it back to the way it was, when everybody saw it as a difficult and unattractive place to play football. First and foremost, it's up to the team to generate the atmosphere and get the fans behind us.
So looking ahead at the division in general, who do you expect to be challenging right towards the top of the table?
Huddersfield, without doubt. They've definitely been the big-hitters in the league over the summer. I also think it could be third time lucky for Leeds as well. They've got to be right up there in the mix once again. And then the three that came down - Norwich, Charltonand Southampton - could be a little bit unpredictable really. They'll probably need to find their feet at first but, eventually, you've got to expect them to find a top 10 position at the very least. Then you've got Millwall who had a good season last season and I'm sure they can go again.
What about surprises? Is there anyone who perhaps struggled a bit last season who you think could shoot up the league this time around, based on whatever might have happened over the last few months?
Yeah, my little dark horse is Swindon. They could have good season with Danny Wilson in charge at the club now. Danny knows his way around this division as well as anyone and he might have a few quid at his disposal if they allow him to spend any of the money they got for Simon Cox. I'm sure he'd spend it well.
So what are the expectations for Brighton? What would you consider to be a good season at this stage of your rebuilding programme?
I think with all the changes, on the back of just escaping relegation, if we manage to get into the top six that would be an unbelievable achievement.
SEAGULLS AIMING TO FLY HIGH AGAIN
By Mike Holden
Sky Bet's Odds Compare All Prices
Click here for our interactive football stats
Russell Slade knows a thing or two about League One - he guided Yeovil to the play-off final two years ago, then he rescued Brighton from the brink of relegation at the end of last season. This week he spoke to Mike Holden about his thoughts on the division at the club's Falmer training ground...
There was an element of predictability to the division last season with the four teams who headed the betting finishing in the top four places. Did you think that gulf was noticeable and do you expect the teams on the biggest budgets to be dominating once again?
To be honest, in response to that, I've got to say that Leeds are in this league for the third year running and who would have suggested that two years ago? Unpredictable events will always happen. All I will say is that it helps if you've got a monetary advantage, there's no question about that. But it will remain a tough league, I'm sure. Resources are important at any level but I don't think you can buy success. Manchester City have spent an absolute fortune, for example, but it's not going to guarantee them a top-four slot.
The other noticeable theme in League One last season was the incredible turnover of managers. Do you think the general instability in the division harms the standard of football?
Yeah, I think so. And it's interesting that so many managers who moved on last season have since been snapped up by other clubs at this level, which suggests they haven't really done a great deal wrong. But that's the nature of the beast at this level. In the Premier League, they're signing players on four and five-year deals, whereas at our level the turnover of players and managers is fairly rapid. Players are on one-year deals, two years maximum. That's just how it is. Whether that affects the turnover of managers because players are moving on so quickly from club to club, I don't know. But what you would say is that those teams who have opted for stability in our league have done quite well. I'm thinking of Peterborough, for example. They have kept the nucleus of a good squad together and have been rewarded. Then there's Scunthorpe. They also persisted with their manager when others maybe wouldn't have. And they're the clubs who have been that little bit more successful.
It was quite an escape you pulled off to avoid relegation at the end of last season. Did you fear the worst at any stage? And what was it you found that made the difference in the end?
Of course there were times when you questioned whether, as a side, we'd be capable of staying up. However, I just believed that we would. It was the time scale that was the major concern. It was only 13 games that I had left when I arrived, which isn't much time to turn a football club around. But we just about did it in the nick of time. In the end, we had a good work ethic. I brought Gary Dicker in on loan, that was the only signing I made, although there were a number of loan signings made the week before I came in, players who I knew about, while I dragged another player back from a second division club. We changed the shape around a little bit and thankfully it worked. You can't put your finger on one thing, though. There were several reasons why we managed to turn it around in the end.
You seem to be quite fancied by the bookmakers this time around but there's been a huge turnover of players during the summer. Do you think punters who are weighing up your chances should take that into consideration?
Yes, massively into consideration. I think people should understand that the club's going through a transition. As you say, there's been a massive turnover of players. Seventeen have gone in total, 15 got released in oneday and two have gone since then. We've brought seven in to date, so it's a big settling-in period and we're miles away from where we need to be. It's a major rebuilding programme that's going on.
How do you prepare for a pre-season with so many new players coming into the club? Is it much different from any other pre-season?
In terms of the material and how you go about your pre-season, it's not too much different. However, the biggest thing is learning about your players, and your players learning about each other. To do that, they've got to have minutes on the pitch. You've got to play them in different positions. You've got to learn as much as you can pre-season because, once the league starts, you can't start experimenting then. You've got to know exactly where you are with them. You've got to know what players can do for you and what they can't do. So this pre-season, especially in the games, has been a little bit of trial and error.
From the outside looking in, it would appear the job you have here is quite different to the job you had at Yeovil, at least in terms of resources. Would you agree with that?
The support and the back-up behind the scenes would be the biggest difference between the two football clubs. But on the football side, you're ultimately striving for the same objective: to get your team as far up that league as possible. Two seasons ago, I got Yeovil to the play-off final and I've no doubt in my mind that this club will be competitive and we'll find ourselves in a position to get out of this league given time. Of course, you want it to happen sooner rather later but that's what we're striving for.
Everybody knows what a big thing it will be when Brighton eventually move to Falmer in two years' time, but does that put pressure on you to get them into the Championship ahead of that date?
Yeah, it might do. I think people try to associate Championship football with a certain type of stadium and I think that can be a little bit misleading. The priority needs to be the team on the pitch. The stadium will be fantastic and after 11 years in the wilderness, the supporters of this football club bloody deserve it - that's a fact. However, it's important that we get a team together that is capable of gracing that stadium, regardless of what division we're in. To put the two together is wrong really. The focus initially has got to be to rebuild the team and then, one day, transfer that team into the new stadium rather the other way around.
There's been a lot of negativity surrounding games at the Withdean in recent years and that's impacted badly on the club's home record. Would you say that's one of the biggest problems you have to address this season?
Yeah. I think there needs to be a return to the early days at the Withdean when results were very positive, when the football club won more home games than it lost. I have to say, when I've come to the Withdean with other teams, I've done rather well. So I know what it's like from the other side, when other managers and teams come here feeling confident. We need to get it back to the way it was, when everybody saw it as a difficult and unattractive place to play football. First and foremost, it's up to the team to generate the atmosphere and get the fans behind us.
So looking ahead at the division in general, who do you expect to be challenging right towards the top of the table?
Huddersfield, without doubt. They've definitely been the big-hitters in the league over the summer. I also think it could be third time lucky for Leeds as well. They've got to be right up there in the mix once again. And then the three that came down - Norwich, Charltonand Southampton - could be a little bit unpredictable really. They'll probably need to find their feet at first but, eventually, you've got to expect them to find a top 10 position at the very least. Then you've got Millwall who had a good season last season and I'm sure they can go again.
What about surprises? Is there anyone who perhaps struggled a bit last season who you think could shoot up the league this time around, based on whatever might have happened over the last few months?
Yeah, my little dark horse is Swindon. They could have good season with Danny Wilson in charge at the club now. Danny knows his way around this division as well as anyone and he might have a few quid at his disposal if they allow him to spend any of the money they got for Simon Cox. I'm sure he'd spend it well.
So what are the expectations for Brighton? What would you consider to be a good season at this stage of your rebuilding programme?
I think with all the changes, on the back of just escaping relegation, if we manage to get into the top six that would be an unbelievable achievement.
