Russell Slade is a stopgap

Russell Slade is a stopgap and we should understand that.

So a boring nil-nil home draw with our Severnside rivals Bristol City has resulted in a knee-jerk reaction from the Cardiff City faithful.

I think Cardiff City fans need to lower their expectations as to how they were at the start of the season. A good run of form, with only two losses so far to our name this season, has given our fans renewed optimism after a dreadful campaign last season, although a top twelve finish to some would be deembed acceptable in some cases.

I am one of those fans, after what went on during the early season of last year and the woeful debut Premier League campaign, the re-brand still hanging over our heads and the vile atmosphere surrounding the club, we were never going to achieve anything last season. Especially with Slade being forced to trim the wage bill massively, despite some players only just joining the club like Guido Burgstaller and Juan Cala. Many players who have moved on and left Cardiff City have gone on to higher things. Cardiff City outcast Javi Guerra who didn’t feature under Russell Slade under his tenure here has six goals in seven games, including a brace at the Camp Nou against Barcelona. Magnus Wolff Eikrem and Jo Inge Berget now featuring for Malmo in the Champions League.

Slade’s transfer business has been a bit below par but understandably so, as he’s not been given a lot of money in all honesty, he made his name at lower league levels as a wheeler and dealer in terms of not spending a penny but generating a lot of money in terms of selling players. Only Scott Malone and Lee Peltier are players who have featured on a consistent basis during Slade’s tenure here. Matthew Kennedy has become an afterthought despite decent outings last season. Eoin Doyle who was the Football League’s top goal scorer at a point last season was loaned out despite a decent amount of goals in a Cardiff shirt. Our only business this season came in the form of free transfers and a season long loan. The notable being Clermont Foot striker Idriss Saadi and Newcastle winger Sammy Ameobi.

We’ve not had a bad start to the season in all honesty, I’ve seen shades of last season where we were all bored to death at times and felt like there was no end product but I’ve also seen plenty of reasons to be optimistic for the future, maybe not this season but for the future. A few examples, for one being one nil down to Fulham due to a goalkeeping error but fighting back to clammer to a one all draw, a notable example would be the televised game against Queens Park Ranger, a game I felt we dominated and should have won, we somehow found ourselves two-nil down to Queens Park Rangers, although their second was debatable and shouldn’t have stood, but fortunately we clawed a goal back and then in stoppage time, Malone pinged one into the top corner, sending Bluebirds fans into ecstacy. That itself was probably the best day as a City fan under Slade, it was a fantastic performance and despite only getting a point out of it, it was a sweet moment, but it showed the fight back ability that the Bluebirds have. The style of play was down to Slade’s right hand man Paul Trollope, whilst the never say die attitude was down to Russell Slade himself. Only once this season have we conceded first and not replied with a goal. I think this shows the Bluebirds have improved this season. In fact the only time Cardiff have lost at home this season was against Hull City, where the fans clapped their team off, appreciating the performance.

You look at the managers before Slade, well two to be precise, Ole and Malky who were given large sums of money, both in their own right to achieve their objectives. Ole was never allowed to continue as manager to complete his objectives, Malky achieved one target which was promotion but again, wasn’t allowed to complete his second objective which was keeping Cardiff up. Slade says his objective is to get Cardiff promoted but even an optimist and a Russell Slade fanboy could see that’s unrealistic. The lower league journeyman is limited in a sense, he’s not adapted to modern day foootball, well at least in the top two tiers. What I will credit Russell with though is the steadying of the ship job that Russell is doing, to get a top half finish after what’s gone on at the club recently was nothing short of miraculous. There is no doubt that Cardiff won’t be promoted with Russell Slade at the helm but we must appreciate the job Russell is doing, even if there’s going to be dark, dull and boring days where you question your will to live. Hopefully when Russell leaves, he’ll leave the club in a better shape, ready for the next manager to add his pieces into the promotion jigsaw and fire us back to the top flight!

must be a 1st i read all of war and peace on here! basically what you say is probably true, did put in another thread today that i believe tan as a plan for geting this club moving forward but at realistic cost! some fans are over critical of every single thing that goes wrong on field even when we dont lose?? like you say lost only two games cannot complain at that can we?

To say Slade's transfer dealings are a "bit below par" must be the understatement of the century

must be a 1st i read all of war and peace on here! basically what you say is probably true, did put in another thread today that i believe tan as a plan for geting this club moving forward but at realistic cost! some fans are over critical of every single thing that goes wrong on field even when we dont lose?? like you say lost only two games cannot complain at that can we?

Glad someone understands!

Who knows but i am backing Slade whatever he is brought in to do.

Are you actually Slade?

Are you actually Slade?

Yeah and this stick im getting is not on i am doing my very best and are just 4 points off top 2 while Vince hasn't given me funds for players give me a f*cking break.

Are you actually Slade?

Yeah and this stick im getting is not on i am doing my very best and are just 4 points off top 2 while Vince hasn't given me funds for players give me a f*cking break.

Can someone show Slade where the exit door is please, ASAP

Got to agree with the OP, frustrating as it is we could be doing a lot worse.

What was the point of signing players not good enough - apart from Peltier - to get in the team? Slade' s best signing was Kennedy and he hasn't had a look in this season!