Word is that Slade has identified at least 3 players he wants to bring in on loan who he reckons can do us a job, but has been told he needs to first ship out some of the existing squad he believes won't figure this season. Loan window is open until November 27th and can range between 28 and 93 days so we have time - or do we? Some questions: - 1) Given his lower league background, does he really know any players who can compete at this level who are better than the ones we've got? 2) If he knows such players, why didn't he get them in at Orient to get them out of League One? 3) Other than FFP issues, isn't it more important to get these players in and doing the job rather than pissing about trying to offload some current misfits first?.......or 4) Are there already enough "right attitude" players here for him to separate the wheat from the chaff, and should we hold off for a few games to see if he can sort them out?
1. Probably. Any manager worth his salt will always look upwards. 2. Financial limitations. Orient couldn't pay what was needed? 3. Maybe VT wants it done that way? Keeping tighter controls on the purse strings. 4. We have already identified 8 or 9 who could go - Velikonja, Eikrem and maybe Cala to name but 3. If Young and Gabbs are advising him then they know who will roll up their sleeves and who won't.
These supposed 3 players would have to be available ergo they are not playing regular football at the moment so why would Slade reckon such people would enhance the squad?
Best ask Russell Nin. I assume he wants leaders and more energy and bottle in the middle of the park. Problems we have all recognised. Look at his comments in this weekends interview about leaders. As for energy etc look at the way Blackpool attacked us in midfield and pressed us back. We don't have players capable of doing that. And that was Blackpool ffs.
It's an absolute ****ing shambles that we need to loan more players. It can only be the middle of the park he's looking at surely. If there are PL youngsters available that will come and put a bit of pace and effort into the middle it would be worth while. 3 players seems improbable and (if true) excessive.
But if that is where it has been identified the weakness lies then surely he is right to do something quickly and positively about it. Would you rather he did nothing and waited until nearer the loan window end by which time the targets might have gone elsewhere? He has been brought in to turn our season around so if the "word" is correct then that is what he is trying to do. We have all been saying for weeks about us having too many players and not the right type for the job. If he ships 8 or 9 out and brings in 3 he that he thinks will be up to scratch then isn't he doing what we have discussed? Or are we all so fickle that we say one thing and then criticise him for doing it as some don't think he's the man for the job?
I'm not really knocking Slade, just the whole situation. I think another manager trying to start again could be little short of disastrous. He has to utilise what we have in the main. We will not be able to move out any significant quantity of players until January at the earliest. I think the players we have need to be fitter, play in a much better organised system and see then how many players short we are. I just don't believe we are going to get 3 players in who'll all add something to our first team. If they're coming for the squad what's the point?
Stevo - it's a little bit of both. Unless he can work a miracle on both the individual fitness front of the existing players and in repairing the fractured spirit of the collective squad, we will go nowhere. He can bring in as many players as he likes, but I doubt there are many out there other than Prem youngsters gagging for a game and being denied a chance at the moment, who are markedly better footballers on paper than we already have. The problem is much deeper than that. We have a disjointed group who've been repeatedly "done" every week by some very average Championship sides at best. We are being outclassed as much in this division as we were last year in the Prem but for a different reason. In the Prem, we were nearly always second best because of the sheer quality of the opposition - this season, we're nowhere close to being a team on the pitch through absurdly bad management by Ole and Co. Since and apart from that first 30 minutes against Norwich when we put together some of the best football I've seen from City for a while, we've hardly deserved even what we've managed scrape together. We were well beaten by a very average Boro side and positively stuffed by Bournemouth in that cup game. The two points we did get away from from home at Derby and Brighton were bloody steals - they should both have hammered us, but that was their fault and not because of our skills. As for Sheff Wed - that game could have gone either way. As it was we won it by the skin of our teeth even though we scored all three goals. This club needs shaking up, and if Slade is to be allowed to do that we should give him his head as far as playing staff (and management assistants) otherwise it'll be a complete waste of time this season. The time to change it around is now.
If we need 3 or 4 more players then we really are a shambles. We have a first team squad of about 32 players ffs. If Slade really is a 'man manager' then get in and sort out this pathetic unfit and under performing shower. If he can't get us up the table with these players then maybe he is the wrong person for the job. I hope he will be successful as all that matters is challenging for promotion this season.
The most positive thing to grasp right now is that we have only lost 4 games at this tme. Time to put things right yet!
Agreed. Sure maybe one midfielder would be required, but I think he has to take this lot by the scruff of the neck and shake them up a bit.
If he has gained the same poor impression of a number of these players - as we have - then he must ship them out and get in people he can rely on If they are not going to get games then they could be disruptive and damaging to the team ethos he wants to instill. As he said last week if they want to be part of it then they will get their chance but if their attitude is wrong then its bye bye time. We clearly need more pace, aggression and commitment in the middle of the park and if those we have don't have it then he has to get people he believes can do the job. While he has never managed at this level he knows considerably more than OGS ever did about football in this county - at all levels. Ffs trust the guy and give him every chance!!!!
Could be Masky. There are no obvious leaders especially since Hudson left. Time for some to man up I think.
4 out of 11 is poor for a club which has on paper a strong squad. Cannot cry over spilt milk but the more one dwells on the past 10 months, the more one has to wonder if the appointment of Solskjaer and his unheard of assistants all with no real experience of modern day English football, has put the club back a whole season.
If the manager can't get a decent performance from his existing squad then he can't be much of a coach and motivator. The last thing we need at present is more players.
Just been reading the thread through again from the top - very interesting and considered opinions. There's no question Slade should be able to focus this directionless but talented squad to produce better performances. If he can't achieve that with what he's got he's definitely the wrong guy, but that's not the point. Improved team performances usually precede the improved results that actually translate into points on the board - the question is how long should the "lag" between the two be allowed to drift on. Whether he needs to introduce some new blood to get his ethos across to get to that position sooner rather than later is the only issue. If this season is not to be wasted after just 11 games and we end up settling for mid table obscurity/safe mode by Christmas, buttons may need to be pushed right now. I'd let Slade do what he thinks is right regarding playing personnel - it's his head on the block and he'll ultimately be judged on his results. If he's denied a reasonable degree of player control by those saying he has to do it with what he's got, those same fans will kick him when he's down for not being "up to the job".
