An objective look at Russell Slade's time at Cardiff City

An objective look at Russell Slade's time at Cardiff City

Author- Jamie Kemble

Inside Cardiff City: http://insidecardiffcity.co.uk/an-objec ... diff-city/

Amid speculation over Cardiff City manager Russell Slade's future, we're taking a look at the former Leyton Orient boss' time at Cardiff City so far and whether it has been a success, a failure or somewhere in between. We're setting opinions aside to take a look at the hard facts and obvious characteristics of Slade's reign over the Bluebirds.

We'll start from the beginning when Russell Slade was appointed as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's successor on October 6th 2014. Slade was given the tricky task of trimming the squad and getting rid of the 'deadwood' while steering clear of the relegation zone and in fairness, he did just that.

The former Orient boss certainly didn't have the backing of the Bluebirds supporters from the off, perhaps he wasn't a big enough name or perhaps he just wasn't Tony Pulis but back to his job. Slade employed a number of youngsters in his opening season, using the likes of Kadeem Harris and Joe Ralls, players the Bluebirds' faithful had seen very little of since they joined the clubs academy some time ago.

Inconsistency would cut short any sort of hopes of sneaking into the play-off's area during last season and the Cardiff fans were left to be content with fighting it out for a top-half finish. Slade was unfortunate in the fact that proven Championship goalscorer Adam Le Fondre forced his was out of the club on loan and player like Kenwyne Jones and Matthew Connolly were loaned out for financial reasons, however it didn't bear much relevance to the season.

The 2014/15 season was difficult for Bluebirds' fans because for the first time since around the 2007/08 season, they were experiencing and watching league matches that mean very little, there was very rarely anything to play for, other than a mid-table finish which, in itself is far from an outstanding achievement.

Russell Slade employed a 'very boring' and one dimensional style of football in his first season which didn't help his profile with the fans who often booed passages of play and towards the end of the season, supporters began asking for the managers head.

The long-ball type of football was never going to win any supporter over but it did seem necessary to survive in the league with the players on the pitch and their dwindling fitness levels which were left at an astonishing low following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign at the club.

Many fans saw the fitness problems as an excuse but it was apparent to see, during Solskjaer's reign and moving into Slade's tenure, the Bluebirds would tail off after sixty minutes of football. A classic example of this arrived before Russell Slade took over the job when (later relegated) Blackpool achieved their first win of the season against the Bluebirds.

Whether you agreed with the style of football or not, it did the job and Cardiff achieved a top-half finish while clearing out seven players on high wages on a permanent basis, spending very little and granting a number of youngsters valuable match experience at a high level. In very small quantity, you could say Russell Slade, although not attractively done, did the job during his first eight months in charge.

Over the summer of 2015, Slade continued to shift the so-called 'deadwood' from the Cardiff squad, releasing or selling a total of nine players and loaning out ten. While Cardiff supporters were very pleased to see a number of players finally leave the club, they were made unhappy by the fact Cardiff brought in just one new face in the form of Newcastle United winger Sammy Ameobi on a season-long loan deal.

It was difficult to see how a squad which was so devoid of confidence and quality the season before would improve so drastically the following season with just one new face and a number of outgoings. Nevertheless, Slade was given the objective of attaining a play-off position at the very least come the summer when coincidentally, his contract expires.

Fast forward a few months and here we are, almost half-way through 2016's opening month and over half-way through the Sky Bet Championship season. Cardiff sit in eighth place, four points behind the final play-off position which is currently occupied by Mick McCarthy's Ipswich Town.

The Bluebirds have been strong at home with just one loss to their name, a record shared with Middlesbrough, Derby County, Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday but their away form is far from admirable with five losses and five draws from the twelve played away from the Cardiff City Stadium, a record again shared with Sheffield Wednesday, along with a host of bottom half teams.

When Slade took over, Cardiff had one of the worst away records in the league and slowly but steadily he improved that but it seems the issue has returned and it's to the detriment of their play-off hopes. It acts as an even bigger disappointment when the Bluebirds are often performing well and winning enough games at home.

There are more reasons than I can portray as to why fans dislike the former PE teachers but most dislike the rigid 4-4-2 formation employed and many feel the style of play, however bad the Cardiff City Stadium pitch, has not improved all that much from last season.

Supporters also feel Slade's substitutions are not flexible enough, at times it does feel as though the substitutions are not done in line with how the games going and the times and the players coming on can sometimes make it seem like they are planned before the game has even begun.

There are certainly enough points and enough games left of the season to claw back into the play-off positions but now, more than ever, supporters are not believing Russell Slade can do that. Let's take a look at why, let's look more into Russell Slade's qualities and frailties.

Russell Slade has been a good manager of the club, he was given an impossible job of clearing out the 'deadwood' while improving the team and spending next to nothing but he seems to have done that, or at least to a degree. There is a settled squad, a reasonably sized squad and a good one I might add, one that is more than capable of achieving a top six finish with a few tweaks and an injection of desire.

We can't blame Russell Slade for not being given the money to go out and strengthen the squad in the way that Derby County have by giving Paul Clement in excess of £25 Million, if he had been given that money then you would say it is difficult to fail, as Malky Mackay found.

Having said that, we have to pose the question; would you trust Russell Slade with a substantial amount of money? Your answers may differ and you could say 'there's only one way to find out' but as we know all too well, throwing money at the cause doesn't necessarily produce long-term success.

Slade has been repeatedly criticised for his transfer dealings by fans and the media alike, his signings Scott Malone and Lee peltier often start in the full-back positions but signings such as Alex Revell, Eoin Doyle and Stuart O'Keefe have found themselves on loan or playing for the development side which certainly makes us asks questions.

There is an evident lack of desire which is often present on the pitch when the Bluebirds are playing and that could be down to a number of things. Firstly, you might question whether the manager has the right input, secondly, you might question whether there are the right types of players (and in the midfield for sure this applies) and thirdly, you might question whether there is a lack of connectivity throughout the club from board to management to fans.

If you were asking me what the problem is, I would probably tell you to start with all three but my opinion, like many others, is void and we have little say in what happens next. Ultimately, it will always be down to the people in charge and it is crucially up to them to put things right.

Cardiff are still in the play-off hunt, it's foolish to write off the season at this point when there are so many points left and so little points in-between where Cardiff are and where they want to be but whatever course of action is needed, it is absolutely imperative that Cardiff do not slip away from the chase, for the sake of the fans and the sake of the club.

Russell Slade has done a good job at Cardiff City, that's not to say it has been anywhere near brilliant but as a club we asked the impossible of him in cutting so many players, spending so little and after all that, we ask him to get us into the play-off's and it's far from easy but it still needs to be done.

If Russell Slade cannot achieve that then perhaps it is time to replace him but he hasn't done a bad job at Cardiff City and he will not have left us in a bad way, in fact, the financial work he has done may benefit us in many years to come and if he was to leave then you would hope there was no malice towards Russell Slade.

The Bluebirds were knocked out of the FA Cup by League One Shrewsbury Town on Sunday night in front of a mere 4,500 supporters and that is, of course, a problem in itself. Is it down to Tan? Is it down to Slade? They both play their part but overall it's probably neither, football attendances will always come down to success and if it's not there, usually, neither are the fans.

Having said that, as Steve Tucker (Wales Online) mentioned this week, "Cardiff are in danger of losing a generation of supporters", whether that is through success of the way the team play, it doesn't matter. The board has to look at the issue and change whatever they need to, to get supporters back in the ground because were talking about a club which is pivotal to many people's lives, that's not something to be taken lightly.

Whether you think Russell Slade should be sacked is up to you and you can have your say in the poll below but one thing is for certain, Cardiff City as a club, need to do whatever they need to do in order to re-establish the club they once were and whether that's changing the way they go about it or changing the management, it doesn't matter a great deal, as long as it works.

It's unfair to ask for someone to be removed from their job and I won't do that, what I will do is hope that Cardiff City make changes, wherever necessary to deliver the success on and off the field that we have been used to for the best part of a decade.

Oh dear

Bit too long for me, coudn't be bothered to read it all!

Bit too long for me, coudn't be bothered to read it all!

thanks for telling us

Quote (ccfc24): "It's unfair to ask for someone to be removed from their job and I won't do that, what I will do is hope that Cardiff City make changes, wherever necessary to deliver the success on and off the field that we have been used to for the best part of a decade."

It's the same thing, whether you ask for it directly or not!

Russell slide will be alright. He will pick up a job back in the lower Divisions where he earned his reputation

An objective look at Russell Slade's time at Cardiff City

Author- Jamie Kemble

Inside Cardiff City: http://insidecardiffcity.co.uk/an-objec ... diff-city/

Amid speculation over Cardiff City manager Russell Slade's future, we're taking a look at the former Leyton Orient boss' time at Cardiff City so far and whether it has been a success, a failure or somewhere in between. We're setting opinions aside to take a look at the hard facts and obvious characteristics of Slade's reign over the Bluebirds.

We'll start from the beginning when Russell Slade was appointed as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's successor on October 6th 2014. Slade was given the tricky task of trimming the squad and getting rid of the 'deadwood' while steering clear of the relegation zone and in fairness, he did just that.

The former Orient boss certainly didn't have the backing of the Bluebirds supporters from the off, perhaps he wasn't a big enough name or perhaps he just wasn't Tony Pulis but back to his job. Slade employed a number of youngsters in his opening season, using the likes of Kadeem Harris and Joe Ralls, players the Bluebirds' faithful had seen very little of since they joined the clubs academy some time ago.

Inconsistency would cut short any sort of hopes of sneaking into the play-off's area during last season and the Cardiff fans were left to be content with fighting it out for a top-half finish. Slade was unfortunate in the fact that proven Championship goalscorer Adam Le Fondre forced his was out of the club on loan and player like Kenwyne Jones and Matthew Connolly were loaned out for financial reasons, however it didn't bear much relevance to the season.

The 2014/15 season was difficult for Bluebirds' fans because for the first time since around the 2007/08 season, they were experiencing and watching league matches that mean very little, there was very rarely anything to play for, other than a mid-table finish which, in itself is far from an outstanding achievement.

Russell Slade employed a 'very boring' and one dimensional style of football in his first season which didn't help his profile with the fans who often booed passages of play and towards the end of the season, supporters began asking for the managers head.

The long-ball type of football was never going to win any supporter over but it did seem necessary to survive in the league with the players on the pitch and their dwindling fitness levels which were left at an astonishing low following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign at the club.

Many fans saw the fitness problems as an excuse but it was apparent to see, during Solskjaer's reign and moving into Slade's tenure, the Bluebirds would tail off after sixty minutes of football. A classic example of this arrived before Russell Slade took over the job when (later relegated) Blackpool achieved their first win of the season against the Bluebirds.

Whether you agreed with the style of football or not, it did the job and Cardiff achieved a top-half finish while clearing out seven players on high wages on a permanent basis, spending very little and granting a number of youngsters valuable match experience at a high level. In very small quantity, you could say Russell Slade, although not attractively done, did the job during his first eight months in charge.

Over the summer of 2015, Slade continued to shift the so-called 'deadwood' from the Cardiff squad, releasing or selling a total of nine players and loaning out ten. While Cardiff supporters were very pleased to see a number of players finally leave the club, they were made unhappy by the fact Cardiff brought in just one new face in the form of Newcastle United winger Sammy Ameobi on a season-long loan deal.

It was difficult to see how a squad which was so devoid of confidence and quality the season before would improve so drastically the following season with just one new face and a number of outgoings. Nevertheless, Slade was given the objective of attaining a play-off position at the very least come the summer when coincidentally, his contract expires.

Fast forward a few months and here we are, almost half-way through 2016's opening month and over half-way through the Sky Bet Championship season. Cardiff sit in eighth place, four points behind the final play-off position which is currently occupied by Mick McCarthy's Ipswich Town.

The Bluebirds have been strong at home with just one loss to their name, a record shared with Middlesbrough, Derby County, Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday but their away form is far from admirable with five losses and five draws from the twelve played away from the Cardiff City Stadium, a record again shared with Sheffield Wednesday, along with a host of bottom half teams.

When Slade took over, Cardiff had one of the worst away records in the league and slowly but steadily he improved that but it seems the issue has returned and it's to the detriment of their play-off hopes. It acts as an even bigger disappointment when the Bluebirds are often performing well and winning enough games at home.

There are more reasons than I can portray as to why fans dislike the former PE teachers but most dislike the rigid 4-4-2 formation employed and many feel the style of play, however bad the Cardiff City Stadium pitch, has not improved all that much from last season.

Supporters also feel Slade's substitutions are not flexible enough, at times it does feel as though the substitutions are not done in line with how the games going and the times and the players coming on can sometimes make it seem like they are planned before the game has even begun.

There are certainly enough points and enough games left of the season to claw back into the play-off positions but now, more than ever, supporters are not believing Russell Slade can do that. Let's take a look at why, let's look more into Russell Slade's qualities and frailties.

Russell Slade has been a good manager of the club, he was given an impossible job of clearing out the 'deadwood' while improving the team and spending next to nothing but he seems to have done that, or at least to a degree. There is a settled squad, a reasonably sized squad and a good one I might add, one that is more than capable of achieving a top six finish with a few tweaks and an injection of desire.

We can't blame Russell Slade for not being given the money to go out and strengthen the squad in the way that Derby County have by giving Paul Clement in excess of £25 Million, if he had been given that money then you would say it is difficult to fail, as Malky Mackay found.

Having said that, we have to pose the question; would you trust Russell Slade with a substantial amount of money? Your answers may differ and you could say 'there's only one way to find out' but as we know all too well, throwing money at the cause doesn't necessarily produce long-term success.

Slade has been repeatedly criticised for his transfer dealings by fans and the media alike, his signings Scott Malone and Lee peltier often start in the full-back positions but signings such as Alex Revell, Eoin Doyle and Stuart O'Keefe have found themselves on loan or playing for the development side which certainly makes us asks questions.

There is an evident lack of desire which is often present on the pitch when the Bluebirds are playing and that could be down to a number of things. Firstly, you might question whether the manager has the right input, secondly, you might question whether there are the right types of players (and in the midfield for sure this applies) and thirdly, you might question whether there is a lack of connectivity throughout the club from board to management to fans.

If you were asking me what the problem is, I would probably tell you to start with all three but my opinion, like many others, is void and we have little say in what happens next. Ultimately, it will always be down to the people in charge and it is crucially up to them to put things right.

Cardiff are still in the play-off hunt, it's foolish to write off the season at this point when there are so many points left and so little points in-between where Cardiff are and where they want to be but whatever course of action is needed, it is absolutely imperative that Cardiff do not slip away from the chase, for the sake of the fans and the sake of the club.

Russell Slade has done a good job at Cardiff City, that's not to say it has been anywhere near brilliant but as a club we asked the impossible of him in cutting so many players, spending so little and after all that, we ask him to get us into the play-off's and it's far from easy but it still needs to be done.

If Russell Slade cannot achieve that then perhaps it is time to replace him but he hasn't done a bad job at Cardiff City and he will not have left us in a bad way, in fact, the financial work he has done may benefit us in many years to come and if he was to leave then you would hope there was no malice towards Russell Slade.

The Bluebirds were knocked out of the FA Cup by League One Shrewsbury Town on Sunday night in front of a mere 4,500 supporters and that is, of course, a problem in itself. Is it down to Tan? Is it down to Slade? They both play their part but overall it's probably neither, football attendances will always come down to success and if it's not there, usually, neither are the fans.

Having said that, as Steve Tucker (Wales Online) mentioned this week, "Cardiff are in danger of losing a generation of supporters", whether that is through success of the way the team play, it doesn't matter. The board has to look at the issue and change whatever they need to, to get supporters back in the ground because were talking about a club which is pivotal to many people's lives, that's not something to be taken lightly.

Whether you think Russell Slade should be sacked is up to you and you can have your say in the poll below but one thing is for certain, Cardiff City as a club, need to do whatever they need to do in order to re-establish the club they once were and whether that's changing the way they go about it or changing the management, it doesn't matter a great deal, as long as it works.

It's unfair to ask for someone to be removed from their job and I won't do that, what I will do is hope that Cardiff City make changes, wherever necessary to deliver the success on and off the field that we have been used to for the best part of a decade.

You should of just said (Inconsistency)

Decent objective analysis, well written. Enjoyed it cheers for posting.

:sleepy2:

Imagine how many times you could have changed your mind in a post that long

An objective look at Russell Slade's time at Cardiff City

Author- Jamie Kemble

Inside Cardiff City: http://insidecardiffcity.co.uk/an-objec ... diff-city/

Amid speculation over Cardiff City manager Russell Slade's future, we're taking a look at the former Leyton Orient boss' time at Cardiff City so far and whether it has been a success, a failure or somewhere in between. We're setting opinions aside to take a look at the hard facts and obvious characteristics of Slade's reign over the Bluebirds.

We'll start from the beginning when Russell Slade was appointed as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's successor on October 6th 2014. Slade was given the tricky task of trimming the squad and getting rid of the 'deadwood' while steering clear of the relegation zone and in fairness, he did just that.

The former Orient boss certainly didn't have the backing of the Bluebirds supporters from the off, perhaps he wasn't a big enough name or perhaps he just wasn't Tony Pulis but back to his job. Slade employed a number of youngsters in his opening season, using the likes of Kadeem Harris and Joe Ralls, players the Bluebirds' faithful had seen very little of since they joined the clubs academy some time ago.

Inconsistency would cut short any sort of hopes of sneaking into the play-off's area during last season and the Cardiff fans were left to be content with fighting it out for a top-half finish. Slade was unfortunate in the fact that proven Championship goalscorer Adam Le Fondre forced his was out of the club on loan and player like Kenwyne Jones and Matthew Connolly were loaned out for financial reasons, however it didn't bear much relevance to the season.

The 2014/15 season was difficult for Bluebirds' fans because for the first time since around the 2007/08 season, they were experiencing and watching league matches that mean very little, there was very rarely anything to play for, other than a mid-table finish which, in itself is far from an outstanding achievement.

Russell Slade employed a 'very boring' and one dimensional style of football in his first season which didn't help his profile with the fans who often booed passages of play and towards the end of the season, supporters began asking for the managers head.

The long-ball type of football was never going to win any supporter over but it did seem necessary to survive in the league with the players on the pitch and their dwindling fitness levels which were left at an astonishing low following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign at the club.

Many fans saw the fitness problems as an excuse but it was apparent to see, during Solskjaer's reign and moving into Slade's tenure, the Bluebirds would tail off after sixty minutes of football. A classic example of this arrived before Russell Slade took over the job when (later relegated) Blackpool achieved their first win of the season against the Bluebirds.

Whether you agreed with the style of football or not, it did the job and Cardiff achieved a top-half finish while clearing out seven players on high wages on a permanent basis, spending very little and granting a number of youngsters valuable match experience at a high level. In very small quantity, you could say Russell Slade, although not attractively done, did the job during his first eight months in charge.

Over the summer of 2015, Slade continued to shift the so-called 'deadwood' from the Cardiff squad, releasing or selling a total of nine players and loaning out ten. While Cardiff supporters were very pleased to see a number of players finally leave the club, they were made unhappy by the fact Cardiff brought in just one new face in the form of Newcastle United winger Sammy Ameobi on a season-long loan deal.

It was difficult to see how a squad which was so devoid of confidence and quality the season before would improve so drastically the following season with just one new face and a number of outgoings. Nevertheless, Slade was given the objective of attaining a play-off position at the very least come the summer when coincidentally, his contract expires.

Fast forward a few months and here we are, almost half-way through 2016's opening month and over half-way through the Sky Bet Championship season. Cardiff sit in eighth place, four points behind the final play-off position which is currently occupied by Mick McCarthy's Ipswich Town.

The Bluebirds have been strong at home with just one loss to their name, a record shared with Middlesbrough, Derby County, Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday but their away form is far from admirable with five losses and five draws from the twelve played away from the Cardiff City Stadium, a record again shared with Sheffield Wednesday, along with a host of bottom half teams.

When Slade took over, Cardiff had one of the worst away records in the league and slowly but steadily he improved that but it seems the issue has returned and it's to the detriment of their play-off hopes. It acts as an even bigger disappointment when the Bluebirds are often performing well and winning enough games at home.

There are more reasons than I can portray as to why fans dislike the former PE teachers but most dislike the rigid 4-4-2 formation employed and many feel the style of play, however bad the Cardiff City Stadium pitch, has not improved all that much from last season.

Supporters also feel Slade's substitutions are not flexible enough, at times it does feel as though the substitutions are not done in line with how the games going and the times and the players coming on can sometimes make it seem like they are planned before the game has even begun.

There are certainly enough points and enough games left of the season to claw back into the play-off positions but now, more than ever, supporters are not believing Russell Slade can do that. Let's take a look at why, let's look more into Russell Slade's qualities and frailties.

Russell Slade has been a good manager of the club, he was given an impossible job of clearing out the 'deadwood' while improving the team and spending next to nothing but he seems to have done that, or at least to a degree. There is a settled squad, a reasonably sized squad and a good one I might add, one that is more than capable of achieving a top six finish with a few tweaks and an injection of desire.

We can't blame Russell Slade for not being given the money to go out and strengthen the squad in the way that Derby County have by giving Paul Clement in excess of £25 Million, if he had been given that money then you would say it is difficult to fail, as Malky Mackay found.

Having said that, we have to pose the question; would you trust Russell Slade with a substantial amount of money? Your answers may differ and you could say 'there's only one way to find out' but as we know all too well, throwing money at the cause doesn't necessarily produce long-term success.

Slade has been repeatedly criticised for his transfer dealings by fans and the media alike, his signings Scott Malone and Lee peltier often start in the full-back positions but signings such as Alex Revell, Eoin Doyle and Stuart O'Keefe have found themselves on loan or playing for the development side which certainly makes us asks questions.

There is an evident lack of desire which is often present on the pitch when the Bluebirds are playing and that could be down to a number of things. Firstly, you might question whether the manager has the right input, secondly, you might question whether there are the right types of players (and in the midfield for sure this applies) and thirdly, you might question whether there is a lack of connectivity throughout the club from board to management to fans.

If you were asking me what the problem is, I would probably tell you to start with all three but my opinion, like many others, is void and we have little say in what happens next. Ultimately, it will always be down to the people in charge and it is crucially up to them to put things right.

Cardiff are still in the play-off hunt, it's foolish to write off the season at this point when there are so many points left and so little points in-between where Cardiff are and where they want to be but whatever course of action is needed, it is absolutely imperative that Cardiff do not slip away from the chase, for the sake of the fans and the sake of the club.

Russell Slade has done a good job at Cardiff City, that's not to say it has been anywhere near brilliant but as a club we asked the impossible of him in cutting so many players, spending so little and after all that, we ask him to get us into the play-off's and it's far from easy but it still needs to be done.

If Russell Slade cannot achieve that then perhaps it is time to replace him but he hasn't done a bad job at Cardiff City and he will not have left us in a bad way, in fact, the financial work he has done may benefit us in many years to come and if he was to leave then you would hope there was no malice towards Russell Slade.

The Bluebirds were knocked out of the FA Cup by League One Shrewsbury Town on Sunday night in front of a mere 4,500 supporters and that is, of course, a problem in itself. Is it down to Tan? Is it down to Slade? They both play their part but overall it's probably neither, football attendances will always come down to success and if it's not there, usually, neither are the fans.

Having said that, as Steve Tucker (Wales Online) mentioned this week, "Cardiff are in danger of losing a generation of supporters", whether that is through success of the way the team play, it doesn't matter. The board has to look at the issue and change whatever they need to, to get supporters back in the ground because were talking about a club which is pivotal to many people's lives, that's not something to be taken lightly.

Whether you think Russell Slade should be sacked is up to you and you can have your say in the poll below but one thing is for certain, Cardiff City as a club, need to do whatever they need to do in order to re-establish the club they once were and whether that's changing the way they go about it or changing the management, it doesn't matter a great deal, as long as it works.

It's unfair to ask for someone to be removed from their job and I won't do that, what I will do is hope that Cardiff City make changes, wherever necessary to deliver the success on and off the field that we have been used to for the best part of a decade.

A very fair, balanced, well written article. A shame the majority of our unrealistic, selfish, delusional fans can't think the same way.

:sleepy2:

Imagine how many times you could have changed your mind in a post that long

Oi pack it in I've already got Polo and OriginalGrandgeEndBlue on my case I don't need another one.

:sleepy2:

Imagine how many times you could have changed your mind in a post that long

Oi pack it in I've already got Polo and OriginalGrandgeEndBlue on my case I don't need another one.

Sorry I just could take resist it! Was meant in jest hence the wink... i'm really not a smiley type of guy normally - you should feel honoured!

:sleepy2:

Imagine how many times you could have changed your mind in a post that long

Oi pack it in I've already got Polo and OriginalGrandgeEndBlue on my case I don't need another one.

Sorry I just could take resist it! Was meant in jest hence the wink... i'm really not a smiley type of guy normally - you should feel honoured!

Well thanks proud moment of my life.