Spare a thought for Rustle Salad.

[Herr Tubthumper]

If Russell Slade had had a fit Glenn Murray, I think he'd still be in a job here. I think we wouldn't have signed Dickinson, and Murray would have played every game with Forster up front. It could all have been so different... if only Murray had been fit.

But that's just from the outside looking in. Personally, I love Russell Slade and I think he did a cracking job for us and signed alot of good players. The only criticism I would have of him is that the squad is too big now, he signed players without removing some of the deadwood. You can't tell me that NOONE would take Livermore, even for free. And you can't tell me that NOONE would have taken Hawkins either. I think the squad was probably a bit too big for him to manage, it can't have been easy for him juggling so many players personalities and desires to be in the side. I think if he had been able to trim alot more of the squad in the summer so that he only had a small and tight squad, as opposed to the large and fractured (I'm guessing, I have no "source") squad we actually have.

I only think it's fractured because of the comments made by Forster and Virgo after Slade's departure, where they suggested that not everyone was behind Slade.

...and there was me thinking the defense was a problem under Slade.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

And can we really rate GP so highly after one game?

..of course we can...it's bloody football. And if he looses the next game then clearly he should be sacked.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

To be totally honest im thankful for the squad Slade started to build. However im sooo glad he failed, as we now have a professional set up as Russell just looked well eeerrrr cheap
Where as Gus looked the part which includes as people have said "respect"

It all just shouts we are looking forward & moving forward.

Not stuck in some time warp with a bald guy who has insecurities about his appearance he has to hide it under a cap. It says im hiding & maybe thats why he failed

 

[Pavilionaire]

Slade left this club in a better state than he found it in. I'll always be grateful to him for keeping us up - in all likelihood we'll start at Falmer in League 1 and although he'll be long gone by then I won't forget his contribution...

 

[Ninja Elephant]

...and there was me thinking the defense was a problem under Slade.

Unfortunately, there was more than 1 problem under Slade.

 

[Ernest]

Or should we be thanking Barry Lloyd for the squad of players Gas has inherited ?

 

[Easy 10]

I'm not having a go at him, I'm sure he tried everything he could to trim the likes of Hawkins, McLeod and Livermore. He clearly didn't want them, but couldn't get rid. I think he assembled an unbalanced squad, with too many centre backs and not enough (quality) cover for left and righ back positions. Again, I'm not having a go at Mr Slade, but I think it would have made his job alot easier if he could have assembled a smaller, but more together group of players. What's done is done.

I think we can all agree Slade signed some quality players in the summer and he did a magnificent job for us, caps off to him.

Unbalanced to a extent, but its worth remembering that Slade didn't really get the chance to assemble a whole squad, with him only being in charge for a solitary transfer window. It was very much a work in progress. He'd have identified the weaknesses I'm sure, and the calibre of players he identified and brought to the club would have boded well for January.

Gus will now reap the benefit of the players Slade brought in. And by yesterdays evidence, he'll get them organised and really playing for him, which for some reason just didn't quite happen for Slade.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Unbalanced to a extent, but its worth remembering that Slade didn't really get the chance to assemble a whole squad, with him only being in charge for a solitary transfer window. It was very much a work in progress. He'd have identified the weaknesses I'm sure, and the calibre of players he identified and brought to the club would have boded well for January.

Gus will now reap the benefit of the players Slade brought in. And by yesterdays evidence, he'll get them organised and really playing for him, which for some reason just didn't quite happen for Slade.

As some say mullery did................shit happens

 

[1066familyman]

think too much is made of this, all managers wear the training gear on the training ground where they spend most of their time with the players.

Agreed. The matchday appearance thing is more for the media's benefit than the players I reckon.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Unbalanced to a extent, but its worth remembering that Slade didn't really get the chance to assemble a whole squad, with him only being in charge for a solitary transfer window. It was very much a work in progress. He'd have identified the weaknesses I'm sure, and the calibre of players he identified and brought to the club would have boded well for January.

Gus will now reap the benefit of the players Slade brought in. And by yesterdays evidence, he'll get them organised and really playing for him, which for some reason just didn't quite happen for Slade.

Fair comment, it's a shame Slade wasn't afforded the same patience and time that Micky Adams was last season, he identified the areas that needed strenghtening and bought in a couple of decent players last janaury window, and I've no doubt Slade would have done the same.

 

[1066familyman]

To be totally honest im thankful for the squad Slade started to build. However im sooo glad he failed, as we now have a professional set up as Russell just looked well eeerrrr cheap
Where as Gus looked the part which includes as people have said "respect"

It all just shouts we are looking forward & moving forward.

Not stuck in some time warp with a bald guy who has insecurities about his appearance he has to hide it under a cap. It says im hiding & maybe thats why he failed

With all due respect, that's total bollox [about Slade having]... " insecurities about his appearance he has to hide it under a cap. It says im hiding & maybe that's why he failed ". He came out at Orient away in a suit and his shiny bonce exposed proudly for all to see.

Hopefully the wink you put at the end of your post means you was just being tongue in cheek about Slade's appearance ?

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Hopefully the wink you put at the end of your post means you was just being tongue in cheek about Slade's appearance ?

 

[1066familyman]

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

:safeway2:

 

[Mendoza]

Slade signed some quality players, and he also provided us with the most attacking football (on some occasions) that we have seen since Adams the first time around.

We scored more goals than our position suggests, and we were let down by the defence. It seems players would walk over Slade, but he did a fantastic job keeping us up. I would have given him more time, but we have to look forward with what we have at the moment.

Yesterday we weren't THAT much better going forward than we have been under Slade, but for once the defence held firm.

 

[Easy 10]

I bet Slade watched that game yesterday, and those players, and said:

"you FUCKERS".

 

[Billy the Fish]

Does nobody else see similarities between yesterday and some performances under Slade?

By that I mean that we looked like world beaters for 30 minutes, and then had to take the foot off the gas but never managed to raise the tempo again. The only difference yesterday was that we looked much more solid and didn't make silly mistakes in the box, which is down to concentration.

 

[EastbourneGull]

Unfortunately Slade was never able to instill the collective responsibilty of defending into the team. Really, that was all he got wrong and he will be remembered as a decent bloke and a good man manager, but not a great coach. How he must regret not having had a clear-out of the coaching team in the summer.

Gus got it right first time - with Cox and Bennett filling the gaps on the flanks and then reinforcing the midfield in the second half.

 

[Easy 10]

It would have been impossible to keep up that tempo. I don't think it was a case of taking our foot off the gas, it was more a case of protecting the lead, staying organised and not overcommitting. Southampton are a decent team, they were always going to force us back in the 2nd half as they chased the game, and you're spot on, we cut out the silly mistakes and kept our concentration.

It was to all intents and purposes the PERFECT away performance.

 

[warsaw]

Agreed. That was something that rankled with me a bit as well. Slade did look a bit ridiculous in that training gear and baseball cap.

Poyet looked class

So do we all think that GP is going to walk across a rain sodden Withdean pitch and sit in the dug-out in a suit? I don't, but I don't think it's a big issue either.