That link doesn't suggest the overheard comment was during the pre-match huddle - it just suggests it was part of what might have been said in it.
The "eavesdropper" (whether you believe it or not) suggests he heard a convo between Gunnar and Whitts beforehand. There could be a lot of truth in it.
Personally and only from what I've watched on the pitch, there appears to be a growing disillusionment with all things Slade amongst the players that were with us before he arrived. The only ones who are currently trotted out for their opinions are those Slade has just brought in himself.
You wouldn't expect anything other than positive vibes from the likes of Malone, Revell, Peltier and O'Keefe having just arrived. Perhaps they'll join the mainstream opinions in a very short space of time that although he seems a very nice bloke, he's actually an arsehole tactically.