' Former Leyton Orient owners view on Slade '

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

Wed Sep 24, 2014

By Paul Abbandonato


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.

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

Wed Sep 24, 2014

By Paul Abbandonato


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.

Good read

I think he will surprise a lot of people i think it is great that a lower league manager gets his deserved chance at a higher level and we didn't go foreign like a lot of clubs do.

I think he will surprise a lot of people i think it is great that a lower league manager gets his deserved chance at a higher level and we didn't go foreign like a lot of clubs do.

Slade, was not who I wanted, BUT I WILL BE 100% FULLY SUPPORTING HIM AND GIVING HIM A CHANCE

I think he will surprise a lot of people i think it is great that a lower league manager gets his deserved chance at a higher level and we didn't go foreign like a lot of clubs do.

Slade, was not who I wanted, BUT I WILL BE 100% FULLY SUPPORTING HIM AND GIVING HIM A CHANCE

I'm quite excited about this after what Barry Hearn has said about him and i think he will give the players the boot up the arse which is what is needed.

I'm not concerned about Slade, even though there were some much better options out there, in my opinion. My personal concern is over who we are appointing as DOF.