Irvine doing the presser with Leonid this morning. please log in to view this image Jackson up first... "It’s not been a difficult week, we’re just focused on getting it right. It’s just about learning from our mistakes and getting the win." "It’s important to acknowledge our position because it's not good enough but at the same time were looking up. It’s a mentality thing, it's not anything tactical. It’s just sheer will and desire and the players, myself included, have to take more responsibility." "Our away form hasn't been ideal so far this season. Hopefully we can go to Hillsborough on Saturday and get the win, which will hopefully give us a platform to kick on from and move up the table." "Sheffield Wednesday have got a squad full of talented individuals and are always dangerous. It's always a tough place to go and we know that we're going to have to be at our best in order to get a result." "I think our performances have been consistently better in the last four weeks, but we haven’t got the results. There’s a lot of positives signs but the general feeling around the dressing room isn’t that things are disjointed. It’s just fine margins." "Personally, I need to find some consistency. We've got a long stretch of games coming up. I have struggled to nail down a starting spot so far, international travel and a strong squad has played a part in that, but my performance levels need to stay at a certain level." (on the World Cup Draw): "I’m very excited to see who we get this afternoon. It’ll start to feel real when they name the squad! We’ve cemented ourselves as a regulars at the World Cup now and even at the last one we nearly caused a few upsets." "I’d like to play England, it was amazing experience last time we met in a friendly but I’m just excited for the tournament. Ola, Kamil and Seb are also hopefully going to be there as well, so hopefully we draw each other." "As a team, we’re improving all the time. Since the introduction of the A League, football has been propelled into the mainstream back home. The game is growing all the time in Australia and that’s why it is important we qualified for the World Cup." Slutsky up next... please log in to view this image "I had a very difficult feeling after the Bristol City game. When you control the game for 65 minutes and find yourselves 2-0 up but lose the game, it is a very difficult situation." "For me it was better to lose 5-0. But, last Monday I watched the Brentford-QPR game, when Brentford conceded two late goals to draw and after that I understood again anything is possible in this league." "I will continue to work. I brought the players here and now I feel a personal responsibility to everyone here. On Saturday I died, but on Monday I was a little bit better. Everything is possible but I know myself, it is not the first difficult situation in my career." "Before I thought home matches were easier than away matches but now I understand each match is difficult. After Sheffield United, we played very good matches but the problem is results. When you don’t have results it is not about the quality of the performance." “It will be the same as every other match in the Championship - very, very tough and unpredictable, but we must continue our work and keep fighting." "Jon Toral has been back training with the group this week and is available for selection on Saturday. Michael Dawson is also available after recovering from illness." “I feel everybody in the team supports me. I don’t have a problem with the team because everybody try to help me. Talking about diligence and desire - we don’t have a problem, it is concentration. We are not robots. we are players and we have young players." "I have a serious evaluation of my level and I thought I was ready for everything because everywhere I was successful and this is maybe my mistake. I couldn’t understand the level of the Championship, but I believe we can change our situation." The end.
Not sure why the club would leave this off their reporting of the what he's said, it's not like people are not going to find out about the most significant thing he said in the whole press conference. Simon Clark @simonhul Leonid Slutsky says he came close to quitting as #hcafc boss after defeat to Bristol City last week.
From the HDM Live blog of the presser: "'I was close to resigning last week' Jon Toral is back in the group, he trained this week and Michael Dawson comes back after a stomach problem. To be honest I was close to saying stop because if Shakespeare had wanted to direct a scenario this serious drama this was the best. But this is not book, this is life and a coach must be ready for this situation. I try to change myself and find a new power to continue to work but each hit might be final. I don’t know if next Saturday will be my last game, it is difficult to predict feelings. But we can’t forget about owner, he could also make a decision. I don’t have a problem with the team because everybody try to help me and you are taking about diligence, desire we don’t have a problem, it is concentration. We are not robots we are players and we have young players" "I spoke with my assistant, my family, my friends and now I think we really have a chance to change situation. If I didn’t feel I stop, but maybe we need one or two chances more. It is difficult to think about long term because each match can change situation with my job. It is a global problem for me is the level of the Championship, you can’t be unready to play here, without players and to start this league without a squad it is a serious problem for us. I talked a lot of times, I am very thankful for each supporter here, everybody liked me but now I can understand how they change opinion. It is a normal situation. I have a serious evaluation of my level and I thought I was ready for everything and I can change the situation, because everywhere I was successful and this is maybe my mistake. I couldn’t understand the level of the Championship. This is my maximum but maybe that was not enough."
Philip Buckingham @PJBuckingham Slutsky: "If my body says stop, I will. Last week I was very close to this feeling but I thought I will continue to work, I bring the players here and now I feel a personal responsibility to everyone here."
Interesting he is saying the players are his, and he feels responsible for them. I really hope he turns it around. I like him.
-> I really hope he turns it around. I like him. I do too. He's made 3 big mistakes though, being: 1. agreeing to come and work under the Allams 2. under-estimating the challenge, on and off the pitch 3. taking so long to realise #2, and then to openly admit it. It was clear to most very early on that the squad doesn't have the right balance (not just position-wise, but experience, leaders, strong characters on & off the field, quality) and that the pre-season was another unmitigated disaster. Hopefully he finds a way to turn it around starting tomorrow, and then is given chance to start building his squad from January. Then, who knows what might be possible under him. If he isn't going to get that opportunity in January then he might as well walk now or be sacked now. Still of course not addressing the real root cause of the club's problems. #AllamsOut
I think he needs to shut up and simply get on with the job; I couldn't give a **** about what he almost did.
The most concerning thing about Slutsky's presser (which wasn't in the HDM article) was that he said England are one of 6 teams with a chance of winning the World Cup. Think he's finally lost it.
If these season is to be a Shakespearean tragedy the best we can hope for is ‘Alls well that ends well’ If not it will be the Taming of the Shrewsbury for us.
And? It's perfectly fine on here to constantly slate City, why not England too? They usually deserve the criticism they get. The thing is, I've not even had a go at them for a while. This year I've talked more about the U17 and U20 teams than the seniors. You always seem to try to defend them regardless of performance.
Nothing personal, but he's not my friend and this nice guy stuff only goes so far for me in football. As a coach he doesn't get there. His behaviour in game is nothing short of ridiculous. He always has too much to say when the language problem should tell him that silence really is golden. Action speaks louder than.... ...We're heading to L1 and I don't care what anyone says, that just ain't good and I've seen nothing from Slutsky to say he halt the drop.
