Is Slade still clearing up the mess left by Adams?

[Pavilionaire]

To suggest that the mess is currently being cleared up implies improvement but we are still where we were when Slade joined us, i.e. in the relegation places.

I agree with Sneaky George that Hartlepool is a must-win match. If we DO win then 4 wins, 4 draws and 7 defeats is disappointing but not totally disastrous. However, lose our 6th out of 8 home matches and he'd have to go; there isn't another club in the Prem or Football League with more home defeats than us.

Trying to stay positive for a moment, Slade has got some stuff right. Keeping us up was obviously massive, but then persuading good players to sign over the summer was also to his credit. Players like Bennett, McNulty, Dicker all look decent enough.

The last thing we need is another managerial change but Slade has already had more time than Peter Taylor and John Barnes this season. However, too many players are under-achieving and the discipline has been horrendous.

I'd also like to think that the job would still be attractive to good candidates - generally speaking, the carrot of Falmer is meaningless if it's more than 2 years away because a manager's career at each club is generally short, but now we're less than 2 years away and the building is coming on apace I believe any candidate would be impressed and the quality of applicant would be high.

I feel a little bit sorry for Slade that Steve Coppell's without a job at the moment. He's been out of the game for 5 months now so should be refreshed and having had 4 separate stints at Palace the maxim "never go back" certainly doesn't apply to him.

The only thing about Coppell is whether he's got the inclination for the job. He said he'd taken Reading as far as he could, so you wonder whether he really believes he can take the Albion further than he did with Reading.

Personally, I think the situation is tailor-made for him; he gets the rest of this season to sort out the squad, restore some confidence whilst Charlton, Leeds and (hopefully) Norwich out of the division. Then we can hit the ground running in 2010/11 and steal a march on those Championship clubs that have been relegated - the script said Scunthorpe, Barnsley and Doncaster would come down but it looks more like Ipswich, Derby and Reading at the mo!

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Sorry, you're going to have to explain that one. Surely the fact that a percentage apparently don't back Slade cannot be anybody's 'fault' other than Slade's? I'm struggling to see how one could say "15% of the players don't back Slade - and it's all the fault of Dean Wilkins." (Or maybe even McGhee).

Is that another dig at Wilkins? You really should come clean and tell us what you know if you are going to keep casting aspersions.

I'm not having a dig. I'm suggesting that the success of any football club comes about through having a united dressing room and that, where there is disunity, there is rarely anything but failure. There is every sign that this has not been a united club for some seasons. The cause of disunity isn't necessarily a manager.

 

[Ecosse Exile]

Ive said this before EVERY good team is built from the back, Slade has spent close on 1.5 million on this team therefore it IS his team.
We could all see our defence was suspect last season and im sure Slade saw it too, but why bring in Smith and Tunnicliffe and then carry on with last seasons defence?
He knew we had problems at left back due to Jimmy Mac's injury, we finished last season with Gary Borrowdale on loan in that position, and even with Jimmy Mac fit we would still need cover, so how many left backs did we sign? none instead he brought in a left sided centre back, Jake Wright, as cover. Jake does his best every game as does Adam El Abd but they are not left backs.
As for Virgo, i dont think he has come back worse than when he left for Celtic, i just dont think he was very good in the first place, lets face it we robbed Celtic of 1.5 million and im sure Mark McGhee being best mates with Gordon Strachan had something to do with that, im sure he must have been raving about this lad he has that can play centre back and can also play up front and be the clubs top scorer. So Strachan took a chance but quickly saw that he had wasted his money.

 

[Storer68]

Russell Slade's managerial career
Brighton 06-03-2009 to Present Pld 30 Won 9 Lost 15 Drawn 6 Win% 30.00

Dean Wilkins's managerial career
Brighton 08-09-2006 to 08-05-2008 Pld 102 Won 39 Lost 39 Drawn 24 Win% 38.2

Micky Adams's managerial career
Brighton 08-05-2008 to 21-02-2009 Pld 40 Won 9 Lost 15 Drawn 16 Win% 22.5
Brighton 12-04-1999 to 10-10-2001 Pld 125 Won 57 Lost 34 Drawn 34 Win% 45.6

Mark McGhee's managerial career
Brighton 28-10-2003 to 08-09-2006 Pld 139 Won 40 Lost 61 Drawn38 Win% 28.7

 

[Pavilionaire]

LB, what's with all the drama with your posts?

Are you saying the players aren't united because of the chairman? the board in general? Forster's captaincy? Wages? It is that only half of the board support the manager and the nother half don't? Is Dick Knight still sticking his oar in?

 

[Curious Orange]

There are doubts over fitness levels,coaching and now according to Forster,only a % of the players are behind the manager!!

I suggest you read the article, Nicky said that a large percentage of the players support Slade.

Forster insisted: “All managers need time. I’ve made no secret of my backing for the gaffer, I think he’s a top guy.

“I know a large percentage of the squad feels the same, he just needs that time to get things right. "

 

[BigGully]

If the problem is what Forster revealed in yesterday's Argus - that only a percentage of the players back the manager - maybe it goes back to before Adams' time.

LB is trying to imply that there was disunity between the players and Wilkins.

Totally innacurate of course and pretty irrelivant to the success of the football club under Wilkins reign.

Knight, Naylor and others including LB have been desperate for some level of success because their own judgement has been discredited.

LB was told by Knight that Wilkins was going and although that information was shamefully offered by Knight to a random fan, wouldn't LB just wish he was the recipient to a decision that in somehow changed Albion's history rather then just being privy to folly !!!

 

[bright1064]

The sacking of Wilkins was the single biggest mistake this club has made in recent times. We were a club on the up, with a very promising young side. Now look at us!

 

[Brovion]

I suggest you read the article, Nicky said that a large percentage of the players support Slade.

In fairness to Block F I can't see what he's said wrong. Forster said 'a large percentage' apparently support Slade, therefore by definition a percentage don't.

I said earlier on I raised my eyebrows when I read it initially because usually in these circumstances a player will say something to the effect that everybody is behind the manager (even when they're not). Maybe Forster will claim he was 'misquoted'?

 

[Curious Orange]

In fairness to Block F I can't see what he's said wrong. Forster said 'a large percentage' apparently support Slade, therefore by definition a percentage don't.

I said earlier on I raised my eyebrows when I read it initially because usually in these circumstances a player will say something to the effect that everybody is behind the manager (even when they're not). Maybe Forster will claim he was 'misquoted'?

But you could see how his point could be easily be read as 'only a [small] % of the players' I take it? I felt that it needed clarifying that Forster had actually said it was a large percentage as the connotations are different. Yes it is interesting that there is an implication that some players aren't necessarily behind the manager - but how many workplaces do you find 100% unity?

 

[Storer68]

The sacking of Wilkins was the single biggest mistake this club has made in recent times. We were a club on the up, with a very promising young side. Now look at us!

rubbish. under wilkins we were an average third division team. under slade we are a below average third division team.

but we are still a third division team

 

[BLOCK F]

But you could see how his point could be easily be read as 'only a [small] % of the players' I take it? I felt that it needed clarifying that Forster had actually said it was a large percentage as the connotations are different. Yes it is interesting that there is an implication that some players aren't necessarily behind the manager - but how many workplaces do you find 100% unity?

Curious,I take your point,but I was merely trying to point out that when club captains usually come out in support of their managers,it is more often than not....'all the lads are totally behind the gaffer' etc.etc.That is all!
What Nicky F said may or may not be significant,but the fact that he phrased it like he did is bound to raise the odd eyebrow,is it not?

 

[Brovion]

But you could see how his point could be easily be read as 'only a [small] % of the players' I take it? I felt that it needed clarifying that Forster had actually said it was a large percentage as the connotations are different. Yes it is interesting that there is an implication that some players aren't necessarily behind the manager - but how many workplaces do you find 100% unity?

Yeah, the fact that actual figures haven't been quoted means it's open to (mis)interpretation, and obviously he (Forster) meant it more as a figure of speech. I'm sure he wasn't expecting anyone to say "well what exactly is a 'large percentage'?"

With regard to your second point, no you never find 100% unity, but it is extremely rare for players to say "Yeah, some of the lads have no confidence in the manager actually." Well, certainly not publically in a named newspaper column, that sort of stuff usually comes out as unattributable briefings like the rumours we get on here! Publically everyone usually sings from the same hymnsheet.

 

[BLOCK F]

Do you really think that 14 games constitutes 'time to clear up any mess left by his predecessor'? You can't count last season as that was a rescue job with the (then) current squad to stay up as RS arrived after the transfer window had been and gone. Changing the manager twice a season is not going to solve anything

Changing the manager twice a season is not going to solve anything,but if Slade were to go and was replaced satisfactorily,then we would only be changing the manager once in a season,wouldn't we!?
Personally,I believe that the combination of a full pre -season training,friendlies,league and cup matches,together with a pretty good transfer spend,constitutes a fair crack of the whip in football terms.For all the encouraging and very spasmodic signs of improvement,the fact remains that we are poor and for whatever reasons,the current management setup seem incapable of getting the players to play to their potential....or if they are playing to their potential,we have got the wrong players.Whichever way you look at it,it is a management problem.
I am no fan of the management merry-go-round and I wish R.S. success.However,if we lose the next match,I believe he will may be a gonner;the only things that could save him is the board's unwillingness to lob out another compensation package/and or the inability to attract the man they want....whoever that may be.

 

[Curious Orange]

Curious,I take your point,but I was merely trying to point out that when club captains usually come out in support of their managers,it is more often than not....'all the lads are totally behind the gaffer' etc.etc.That is all!
What Nicky F said may or may not be significant,but the fact that he phrased it like he did is bound to raise the odd eyebrow,is it not?

Oh, I agree it does... and clearly has!

 

[Pavilionaire]

Slade can motivate because he kept us up, he's brought in some good players and he's done well at Grimsby and Yeovil so he's got some stuff going for him. It's one of those where if he DOES get the sack the squad of players should collectively hang their head in shame.

For whatever reason he doesn't seem to have HIS men running the show in the dressing room. There's a leadership vacuum. Is it time to make someone like Crofts club captain; Nicky Forster doesn't seem to be doing a particularly good job and Virgo's been a liability not able to consistently hold down a place in a mediocre side.

I suspect Slade's hampered by some of Adams' baggage signings and longer term contracts that he'd rather not have. I do hope he gets it right because it's all a bit depressing having a manager who's a hero one minute and a villain the next.

 

[bright1064]

rubbish. under wilkins we were an average third division team. under slade we are a below average third division team.

but we are still a third division team

Rubbish. We finished 7th in his second season. That's slightly above average if you are being pedantic.

Since Wilkins was needlessly given the boot we have been shocking, with our 'great escape' the only decent run of form.

People often bang on about Wilkins man management and the fact he upset a few senior pro's at the club...at least the players PLAYED for him! At least we won games of football.

He is a top coach, and a good tactician. His record was a decent one. His sacking was pointless, needless and has flown back into the face of the club that he served so well.

 

[cannedheat]

The only shit that Slade is trying to clear up is what he has created himself.