THE POSITIVES OF RUSSELL SLADE BEING CARDIFF CITY MANAGER
Mon Oct 05, 2015 2:51 pm
" THE POSITIVES OF RUSSELL SLADE AT CARDIFF CITY "
5 OCT 2015
BY TERRY PHILLIPS
One year into Russell Slade’s Cardiff City reign.
The positives...
Team spirit
He has gathered a tight group around him - and they all want to play for Slade. I speak to players on a regular basis and there are no dissenting voices in that. He is a popular manager. Morale among the players is top notch right now and they work for each other.
Cardiff City players are certainly more together now
Ruthless and decisive
Slade inherited a squad which was far too big - and badly needed trimming. He made quick decisions on who would buy into the way he wanted to play and who wouldn’t. Those who weren’t keen went on their way and Slade, under instructions from Vincent Tan, carved £12m off the wage bill. He does not shirk from making tough decisions.
Honesty
Cardiff manager Russell Slade has been at the helm for a year.
This could be a plus or a minus in my book. The guy is honest, far too honest at times. He answers all questions with a refreshing openness, but there have been times when it might have been better not to add as many details. There have been times when Slade has looked uncomfortable facing the media at Cardiff City, but he is a lot more relaxed about that these days.
Organisation
Slade has a plan and he sticks to it. Players know their jobs - and what the guys playing close to them should be doing.
He is big on building partnerships and links through the team - Ralls/Malone; Morrison/Connolly; Peltier/Pilkington; Ralls/Whittingham and more.
Those partnerships are crucial.
Fitness
Under Malky Mackay the Bluebirds were one of the fittest teams around. Whatever the reason, those levels dropped dramatically under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The players were still fit, of course, but they lost an edge and it showed.
That was a problem identified quickly by Slade and he brought in Lee Southernwood as head of fitness and conditioning. The former Army Physical Training Corps man has made the difference and City are once again among the fittest teams around in the Championship. The stats show that.
The Cardiff City players now have trust in the club's philosophy, says Russell SladeThe Cardiff City players now have trust in the club's philosophy, says Russell Slade
Cardiff City boss Russell Slade's one year anniversary:
Brand of football
This one took time and there were some shocking performances along the way. Players like Peter Whittingham hated the long ball game and so did Bluebirds fans. Slade’s focus was on cutting squad numbers while ensuring City finished in the top half finish of the table.
Now, though, Whittingham is at the heart of a Cardiff team playing some good stuff. They want to play, they try to pass with fluency and City’s team performance against Charlton at home was one of their best under Slade.
Relationship with Vincent Tan
The two men speak regularly, probably two or three times a week. Their relationship is crucial and it’s gone pretty well so far. It can be difficult because Tan likes to run things his own way, but an experienced manager - Slade has been in charge of 720-plus matches over his career - must have the final say on football matters. He has negotiated what could a tricky relationship with success.
Relationship with Paul Trollope
The key to Cardiff success. Slade is the manager, a motivator and man for player decisions, while Trollope takes control on the training ground. City have started the season pretty well and one of the reasons for that - and the current attractive brand of football - is the chemistry between Slade and Trollope. Each has their own style, but they seem to fit perfectly. If they stay together and work together over the rest of this season their is genuine hope of progress.
5 OCT 2015
BY TERRY PHILLIPS
One year into Russell Slade’s Cardiff City reign.
The positives...
Team spirit
He has gathered a tight group around him - and they all want to play for Slade. I speak to players on a regular basis and there are no dissenting voices in that. He is a popular manager. Morale among the players is top notch right now and they work for each other.
Cardiff City players are certainly more together now
Ruthless and decisive
Slade inherited a squad which was far too big - and badly needed trimming. He made quick decisions on who would buy into the way he wanted to play and who wouldn’t. Those who weren’t keen went on their way and Slade, under instructions from Vincent Tan, carved £12m off the wage bill. He does not shirk from making tough decisions.
Honesty
Cardiff manager Russell Slade has been at the helm for a year.
This could be a plus or a minus in my book. The guy is honest, far too honest at times. He answers all questions with a refreshing openness, but there have been times when it might have been better not to add as many details. There have been times when Slade has looked uncomfortable facing the media at Cardiff City, but he is a lot more relaxed about that these days.
Organisation
Slade has a plan and he sticks to it. Players know their jobs - and what the guys playing close to them should be doing.
He is big on building partnerships and links through the team - Ralls/Malone; Morrison/Connolly; Peltier/Pilkington; Ralls/Whittingham and more.
Those partnerships are crucial.
Fitness
Under Malky Mackay the Bluebirds were one of the fittest teams around. Whatever the reason, those levels dropped dramatically under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The players were still fit, of course, but they lost an edge and it showed.
That was a problem identified quickly by Slade and he brought in Lee Southernwood as head of fitness and conditioning. The former Army Physical Training Corps man has made the difference and City are once again among the fittest teams around in the Championship. The stats show that.
The Cardiff City players now have trust in the club's philosophy, says Russell SladeThe Cardiff City players now have trust in the club's philosophy, says Russell Slade
Cardiff City boss Russell Slade's one year anniversary:
Brand of football
This one took time and there were some shocking performances along the way. Players like Peter Whittingham hated the long ball game and so did Bluebirds fans. Slade’s focus was on cutting squad numbers while ensuring City finished in the top half finish of the table.
Now, though, Whittingham is at the heart of a Cardiff team playing some good stuff. They want to play, they try to pass with fluency and City’s team performance against Charlton at home was one of their best under Slade.
Relationship with Vincent Tan
The two men speak regularly, probably two or three times a week. Their relationship is crucial and it’s gone pretty well so far. It can be difficult because Tan likes to run things his own way, but an experienced manager - Slade has been in charge of 720-plus matches over his career - must have the final say on football matters. He has negotiated what could a tricky relationship with success.
Relationship with Paul Trollope
The key to Cardiff success. Slade is the manager, a motivator and man for player decisions, while Trollope takes control on the training ground. City have started the season pretty well and one of the reasons for that - and the current attractive brand of football - is the chemistry between Slade and Trollope. Each has their own style, but they seem to fit perfectly. If they stay together and work together over the rest of this season their is genuine hope of progress.
Re: THE POSITIVES OF RUSSELL SLADE BEING CARDIFF CITY MANAGE
Mon Oct 05, 2015 4:45 pm
