Thoughts on Slade’s dismissal

[KneeOn]

1. Slade is a great talker and says all of the right things when questioned. I can well see how he would have talked himself into a job when interviewed by Bloom. Unfortunately the ‘walk’ didn’t match the talk and I get the impression that Bloom doesn’t suffer fools or impostors.

Errrrrrrrr couldn't walk? What was last season? A crawl? YOu make him sound like a cheat who just talked his way in to the job without caring...

 

[NMH]

I liked Slade's 'reality' view of things on the pitch, but in actuality most of us had a stark view of things at every match, too.

He was hired on the back of having just-about managed to save us from the drop (for which he will always be remembered), and it wasn't a quick decision even at the time - so obviously there were misgivings in the boardroom even then.

Still, management isn't just about desperation and reminding players what NEEDS to happen, the chances are the squad knew what they needed to do going into every game. But, in the long run is where a manager can get found out - by players, or (as in Dean Wilkins' case) by the board. Keeping BOTH happy is possible by keeping the good results up, and not getting into any political situations in either the cigar-room or the dressing-room.
That can be done by being the strongest personality to the players, so that whether they are in the changing-rooms or on the coach, on the bench or on the field, they remain aware of their professional status under the manager.
The manager maintains a professional responsibility to the fans and to the club, and that's the profile he holds up!

No matter what Slade said on the radio after every game - and he was LIKED here - the result spoke loudest.
He could be excused for starting out slowly, but not for consistently poor performances where we were not improving. Neither Brooker or White could take all the blame, the buck had to sit firmly on the manager's lap.

A manager prospers or fails by his own decisions - and none can look around for others to blame while knowing that.

In turn though - and perhaps another subject - the Chairman has his own responsibility and his own decisions to stand or fall by!
For most chairmen - it 'remains to be seen' according to a club's ultimate fortunes, and a lot is at stake..... and very personally, for the man at the top!
For the manager though, this is now really a load off his mind.
One thing you can be sure of with club managers; "there will be others".

This is a new dawning in Albion history - so get behind the men responsible, including the man at the top.

Thanks for what you achieved Mr Slade, you were liked and appreciated, good luck and see you down the road, somewhere.

 

[NMH]

My thoughts on Slade's dismissal: It's a f***ing disgrace. End of. Joke chairman, joke club.

WANKER!

Sorry, it just slipped out

 

[Acker79]

If you say that the BHA total electorate is 30,000 (about the number we took to the playoff final) then 300 is 1 percent. This is a very high figure for an opinion poll - if Mori or Gallup had one of the same size before a General Election they would need to poll over 450,000 people.

Moreover, it was the huge percentage against Slade that was key to this. A 2 to 1 majority is huge in anyones eyes and can effectively discount any attempt at sabotage by a few 'anti's' - and Bloom is no fool. He knew then that he would have the bulk of the support with him.

And don't be swayed by the 'this board isn't representative of the true fans' argument. It very much is - we have as many middle-aged, middle-class professionals on here as schoolkids, students and layabouts. Just because you're over 40 doesn't mean you can't find NSC.

My problem with the club listening to NSC isn't thae sample size, it's the representation. It would be like Mori sampling people on a street during a BNP march who they will vote for. We may have enough numbers for a decent sample, we just don't have a wide enough representation of the fanbase.

 

[Father Jack]

i really liked RS i blame has coaches and the players for his dismissal, the one crumb of comfort i can take is i think he will walk into the Grimsby job.

 

[Jim D]

Errrrrrrrr couldn't walk? What was last season? A crawl? YOu make him sound like a cheat who just talked his way in to the job without caring...

Last season he was told to keep us up and he did that with what could only be described as mid-table form (his record was won 6, drew 2, lost 6). It was mainly the fact that we won 5 of the last 7 games that got everyone excited.

This season was always going to be different in that he had a big clearout and was allowed to bring in some of his own players. He also made some quoted comments about an overhaul of the way that the club would be run (which implied that there would be personnel changes) and a firm commitment as to the attitude and fitness of the players (he said something like no team in this league would be more determined or fitter than us). From that, people made their minds up that this could only mean that we would perform much better than last season.

The above were examples of Slade 'talking the talk', which always goes down well with senior management. The reality 'the walk' didn't come near to matching up. I wouldn't call him a cheat, or someone that didn't care, but he had made these commitments to the public (and presumably to the Board before then) and was made to pay the penalty for not delivering on them.

 

[The Peanut Roaster]

3. Club directors, senior staff and those close to them pay attention to the opinions posted on NSC. People on here were clamouring for Slade to go by a 2 to 1 majority (over 300 people voted) after the Oldham game, which was unprecedented so soon into the season (Adams wasn’t as unpopular until after Christmas). You can say what you like about the influence that our little itty-bitty message board has, but that won’t have gone unnoticed.

If Denis Wise is appointed, then we know they don't care too much what's said on here,

 

[bellsize seagull]

results game now...Slade kept us in League One when all around were saying we were doomed that was what he was paid for but with shrewd signings nailed it.
Players like Owusu, Loft, Dicker and Hart were amazing in those last 6 games.
The players seem to have not driven on from that and the club once again has got bad results and managers only get limited time these days.
New Gaffer will need time, resources and a good backroom of coaching staff that want to progress the players forward as hardly any of them are the finished article and the new gaffer needs to make players remember what league and the ambitions of this club.

 

[Jim D]

If Denis Wise is appointed, then we know they don't care too much what's said on here,

If he's already been signed then there's not much that can be done. If not then I would hope Bloom would definitely swerve him. That's not to say we'll then be getting Coppell or Curbs because that will depend on the deal they want.

 

[sixnilup]

Had to go, I think Bloom summed it when he used the term "with a heavy heart".

 

[Questions]

The truth is it is preposterous to sack a manager 15 games into a season when the campaign before he had come in and saved our bacon. He has made wholesale changes because of the debacle Adams made of his return season and Slade needed more time to get things moving. Anyone who has watched the last 4 or 5 home games must have seen the glimpes of what we could become. I have felt saddened by the lack of faith shown by Bloom in Slade and I just hope that this does not come back to haunt him.

 

[The Peanut Roaster]

If he's already been signed then there's not much that can be done.

There's been a plenty of anti wise sentiment on here way previous to sade's sacking. ( I still think his love is king)

 

[Seagull73]

Joke chairman, joke club.

I think that just about sums you up quite nicely.

 

[Seagull73]

Last season he was told to keep us up and he did that with what could only be described as mid-table form (his record was won 6, drew 2, lost 6). It was mainly the fact that we won 5 of the last 7 games that got everyone excited.

This season was always going to be different in that he had a big clearout and was allowed to bring in some of his own players. He also made some quoted comments about an overhaul of the way that the club would be run (which implied that there would be personnel changes) and a firm commitment as to the attitude and fitness of the players (he said something like no team in this league would be more determined or fitter than us). From that, people made their minds up that this could only mean that we would perform much better than last season.

The above were examples of Slade 'talking the talk', which always goes down well with senior management. The reality 'the walk' didn't come near to matching up. I wouldn't call him a cheat, or someone that didn't care, but he had made these commitments to the public (and presumably to the Board before then) and was made to pay the penalty for not delivering on them.

Yes this notion of Slade 'keeping us up' was lost on a great end to the season, however, we were only 2 points adrift when he joined.

You are quite right Jim D, he has paid the ultimate price for not delivering against the public quotes he made. I can't help but get the feeling he HAD to make those quotes, to ensure the fans were onside, whether he believed it or not.

 

[Paul Skinback]

I think it's shocking he's been sacked. I thought he was doing a cracking job!

Stadium looks good by the way

 

[shwoody1]

slades teams seem to have a history of only getting better. 2 situations that seem to back that up include our escape last year (poor start flying finish) and yeovil last year, not sure of exact results but they were struggling then won a handful of games or so and climbed the table before sacking him unrelated to football matters. imho deserved a bit more time to continue the trend.

 

[Elder for England]

I didn't particularly rate him as a manger but was willing to give him a bit more time than this, a few more weeks at the very least. What is the point in getting managers in, giving them contracts of two years or more if we're only willing to give them weeks to make an impact otherwise they're out?

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

I didn't particularly rate him as a manger but was willing to give him a bit more time than this, a few more weeks at the very least. What is the point in getting managers in, giving them contracts of two years or more if we're only willing to give them weeks to make an impact otherwise they're out?

Did you not rate him because he didn't play Hawkins?

 

[Elder for England]

Did you not rate him because he didn't play Hawkins?

Didn't help him no.

 

[seagullsdaz]

Gutted for Slade it's pissed me off all day that he didn't get longer! He was 1 decent experianced loan Center back away from turning things around and he didn't get the chance! Gonna miss him!!!