Barry Hearn: " Slade can turn Cardiff season around "

Cardiff City are getting the perfect man! Former Leyton Orient chief Barry Hearn backs Russell Slade for success

Wed 24th Sept 2014.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/foot ... an-7827768

Hearn told WalesOnline: “It’s time for some people down there in Wales to have a reality check" after criticism of the proposed appointment


Sporting magnate Barry Hearn has told Cardiff City they are landing the perfect manager to deliver the Premier League dream as Vincent Tan’s move for Russell Slade edges closer.

Hearn was the Leyton Orient chairman who took Slade to Brisbane Road and declared: “In the 20 years I was with the club, he was comfortably the best manager I had.”

The man who first made his name as a snooker and boxing guru went on to urge critical Bluebirds fans to back Tan’s unsung number one target, arguing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was evidence that big name managers don’t necessarily work in football.

“It’s time for some people down there in Wales to have a reality check. Solskjaer was a big name... and look what happened there,” said Hearn.


Cardiff had three approaches to open talks with Slade rebuffed by Orient. But the bookmakers odds on red-hot favourite Slade landing the Bluebirds job were slashed even further on Wednesday afternoon after a flurry of bets were placed on him being appointed.

Hearn could not speak highly enough of the man who took Orient to within a penalty shoot-out of the Championship in May, having first appointed him to the Orient post in April 2010.

“We had a £1.8million budget, amongst the smallest in the league, and he got me within a kick of getting up to that level,” said Hearn.


Leyton Orient's Chris Dagnall after seeing his penalty saved in the shoot-out with Rotherham United at Wembley last May

“It’s not just about money, it’s about how you manage the resource available to you and there aren’t many better than Russell at that.

“Cardiff do have riches, a huge squad, although Russell won’t spend money unless he needs to. But look, you’ve clearly got a group of players who are under-performing down there and he is the man to turn that around.

“I would put my house on Russell being a success with Cardiff. That’s how confident I would be with him.”

'Open your eyes'

Hearn conceded: “I’ve heard some criticism about Russell not being one of these so-called big names that the newspapers clamour for.

“Well you’ve just had a big name manager at Cardiff and we’ve seen what the results of that were. Open your eyes to the world, I say.

“It’s time for some people to have a reality check, accept what works. Don’t listen to what some people say about the need for a higher profile individual.

“What is needed is the best man for the job. I would give Russell the job tomorrow and he could just be the one to bring the success Cardiff want and deserve.”



Analysing Slade’s strengths, Hearn said: “His man-management is second to none. He’s a great disciplinarian, can be a hard nut when he needs to be... but he also has this knack of being able to put an arm around people to motivate them that way, too.

“Yes, I accept the argument he has never managed at Championship level. Fair enough, but that doesn’t mean he can’t manage at that level.

“He understands the business of football, how budgets work and he is 110 per cent honest. Sometimes people don’t like to hear the truth, but he will tell them for their own good and that of the club.

“He’s very transparent and I’ve not doubts the Cardiff fans would warm to him.

“He believes in the team ethos ahead of any individual ego or anything like that. And he works 24 hours a day.”

Hearn appointed Slade at Orient after the manager had had spells in charge of Brighton, Yeovil, Grimsby and Scarborough.

Reputation for getting teams out of trouble

Former Leyton Orient owner Barry Hearn and manager Russell Slade give their verdict after the O's draw with Arsenal in the FA Cup fifth round in 2011:

Barry Hearn and Russell Slade after draw with Arsenal
He won the League One manager of the year award after taking little Yeovil to the play-off final at Wembley, where they were defeated 2-0 by Blackpool.

Slade won the award again last season, once again taking his team to Wembley where this time Orient were beaten by Rotherham on penalties.

“I chose him in the first place because Russell had a reputation for getting teams out of trouble,” said Hearn.

“He had left Brighton, but I was aware he works within budgets, could get smaller clubs thriving and could do it without spending shedloads of money.

“The dynamics at Cardiff are different of course. There is a wonderful group of players there, but they are not achieving the results they should.

“Is Russell the man to turn around those results for Cardiff? Absolutely, he is.”

I wondered how long before this gob shite raised his head and wanted his two penneth on the events!

People down there.

f**k me theyve got shoes on their feet!

Patronising tw*t

Great to get an insight on new manager.

Good article

Great to get an insight on new manager.

Good article

I agree and barry no's his shit

If Slade is appointed, he will get my full backing,far too many jumped-up negative arse-wipes on here

Encouraging words there. I've said it before it is a gamble but this could be a master stroke by tan, slade has the potential to be a great manager and now could be his time to shine with more money and a better squad at his disposal, I hope so!

Barry Hearn is a sports promoter and a very successful one at that. So he's made his money from financial gains from aggressively selling multiple sports business opportunities to his advantage and good luck to him. The suspicious side of me would be to guess that he would sow the seed of Slade's potential to the clueless but monied powers-at-be at City via his business associates to make a decent transnational profit from one of his 'assets' whilst also benefiting from the associated media hence coverage from City's profile hence free advertising. 'Follow The Money' is a life-learnt lesson for me and more times than often you will quickly get to the truth. That's not to say that Slade is anything but a proper and decent football manager but I simply have no confidence in our present decision makers, based on their current track record at what is perhaps one of the most precarious times in our history.

Barry Hearn is a sports promoter and a very successful one at that. So he's made his money from financial gains from aggressively selling multiple sports business opportunities to his advantage and good luck to him. The suspicious side of me would be to guess that he would sow the seed of Slade's potential to the clueless but monied powers-at-be at City via his business associates to make a decent transnational profit from one of his 'assets' whilst also benefiting from the associated media hence coverage from City's profile hence free advertising. 'Follow The Money' is a life-learnt lesson for me and more times than often you will quickly get to the truth. That's not to say that Slade is anything but a proper and decent football manager but I simply have no confidence in our present decision makers, based on their current track record at what is perhaps one of the most precarious times in our history.

You can dampen the mood!

Barry Hearn is a sports promoter and a very successful one at that. So he's made his money from financial gains from aggressively selling multiple sports business opportunities to his advantage and good luck to him. The suspicious side of me would be to guess that he would sow the seed of Slade's potential to the clueless but monied powers-at-be at City via his business associates to make a decent transnational profit from one of his 'assets' whilst also benefiting from the associated media hence coverage from City's profile hence free advertising. 'Follow The Money' is a life-learnt lesson for me and more times than often you will quickly get to the truth. That's not to say that Slade is anything but a proper and decent football manager but I simply have no confidence in our present decision makers, based on their current track record at what is perhaps one of the most precarious times in our history.

You can dampen the mood!

Sorry Gav, still got my arse in my hands after the last three games and increasing frustration with the guys at the top. We are in a privileged position of having investment but I just fear that over the medium term, and because of their naivety, it really may get very tough for us (again) and I just don't want this situation to end up with the sleeping giant having to roll-over and have a kip again.

Barry Hearn is a sports promoter and a very successful one at that. So he's made his money from financial gains from aggressively selling multiple sports business opportunities to his advantage and good luck to him. The suspicious side of me would be to guess that he would sow the seed of Slade's potential to the clueless but monied powers-at-be at City via his business associates to make a decent transnational profit from one of his 'assets' whilst also benefiting from the associated media hence coverage from City's profile hence free advertising. 'Follow The Money' is a life-learnt lesson for me and more times than often you will quickly get to the truth. That's not to say that Slade is anything but a proper and decent football manager but I simply have no confidence in our present decision makers, based on their current track record at what is perhaps one of the most precarious times in our history.

Barry Hearn ain't the owner there any more so can't see what he would gain by promoting slade

Barry Hearn is a sports promoter and a very successful one at that. So he's made his money from financial gains from aggressively selling multiple sports business opportunities to his advantage and good luck to him. The suspicious side of me would be to guess that he would sow the seed of Slade's potential to the clueless but monied powers-at-be at City via his business associates to make a decent transnational profit from one of his 'assets' whilst also benefiting from the associated media hence coverage from City's profile hence free advertising. 'Follow The Money' is a life-learnt lesson for me and more times than often you will quickly get to the truth. That's not to say that Slade is anything but a proper and decent football manager but I simply have no confidence in our present decision makers, based on their current track record at what is perhaps one of the most precarious times in our history.

You can dampen the mood!

Sorry Gav, still got my arse in my hands after the last three games and increasing frustration with the guys at the top. We are in a privileged position of having investment but I just fear that over the medium term, and because of their naivety, it really may get very tough for us (again) and I just don't want this situation to end up with the sleeping giant having to roll-over and have a kip again.

I'm deeply disappointed - I don't come on here to read serious guff like this from you - no reference to clackers or coal hole or nothing

Get a grip chief

Barry Hearn Jnr is Slades agent Hmmmmm
But I agree we need to get behind Slade. But welcome to the re branded Circus that is CCFC. And hope you can work with coco the clown Tan.