Proving the doubters wrong (including me )and deserving a new contract? Or got lucky with the embargo , got players on loan we wouldnt have got and fallen into a playing system loads of us have been crying out for us to use for ages. I was convinced he was going to be sacked and it was just us seeing this season out. Now im not so sure. I still think we will fall just short. But the football has improved dramatically. Slade is winning fans over and the negativity around him seems to have gone and fans are singing his name at games. Can he and his coaching staff with two or three additions get us into the top 2 next season which I think is a realistic target if there arent major player sales. Keep up this style of football and I think he deserves a chance.
I've mentioned a few times on here I think he deserves another year. All I think you can ask for in this game is to see the team progress. It's been a very steady progression but there's absolutely no argument we've improved and massively cut costs since he took over. That's impressive. Sparks mentions Rowett and I'd agree he's probably doing even better on limited resources but there aren't many other Championship managers who are. I agree that we'll come up short. I think that's a healthy attitude for our fans though. A playoff/promotion near miss should be seen as a decent season IMO. Remember it was hard hard to find a City fan that didn't think we'd be in a relegation battle before this season started. There's been absolutely no threat of that all year. I think Tan is absolutely still on board and it might take a few seasons in and around the top 6 before we finally get it right to go up. My main worry for us and any other teams who don't get promoted 'soon' is that Hull and Burnley are currently showing how it should be done. Keep the manager, keep,the squad. Use the PL money to add a bit of class at championship level and bounce straight back. If more chairmen follow that lead you'll see a lot more PL clubs bouncing straight back. On the plus side for next year Villa are a shambles and will be nearer L1 than the Pl by the end of the 2017 season.
The reason behind this sudden reversal of form and results is interesting. We have to give due credit to Slade in the same way he rightly took flak for the dire stuff served up until recently, but I've still get the impression this upturn is more by accident than design. I still find it hard to forget him bringing the likes of Revell and Doyle to the club when they were clearly lower division journeymen like he's been as a manager - the less said about his judgement of Ameobi as being the right sort of player to take on loan for a tough Championship season the better. The sale of Jones and Revell was probably the best thing that could have happened because it's forced a change in playing policy with a new set up that's working. The players have got a new spring in their step since those poor no score draws against Charlton and MK Dons. If he gets us into the playoffs after such a poor first half of the season performance wise, there's justification to consider his position for next season. However. I think we could have been challenging for the autos right now rather than chasing a playoff spot with the right manager from the start.
His reluctance to move away from 442 for the majority of the season suggests this isn't of his doing. He could easily have played this type of football earlier in the season with the players he had available before the arrival of Immers and Lawrence. Wouldn't ALF and Maynard have enjoyed playing in this formation? He's done a good job in slashing the budget and stabilising us financially but I think he's shown too many negative traits to outweigh the positivity seen recently. If he'd have convinced Jones to stay on a reduced contract we'd still be playing 442 and lumping it up field. I'd be happy to leave Trollope in post but think its time for Slade and Young to move on.
I still believe that with the players we have we should be comfortably in the top two. Slade is a likeable sort of bloke who has performed well financially but his tactical nous is non existent. He was forced into our current formation simply due to the players remaining here. I wouldn't be surprised if the players themselves persuaded him to try this. Whatever the outcome this season we must change the manager to go forward.
Another season of Slade in charge did seem unthinkable not so long ago. Now the idea doesnt seem bad at all. He may have stumbled on the system and players. But they still have to perform. Im reserving judgement.
Whatever the outcome?!? If Slade gets us promoted you'd send him packing? Have a look at Brentford for how easy it is to make a change and go backwards at a rapid rate.
Let's not forget lads that it would be typical of this club to go up this year. despite all the problems off the pitch we've come together at just the right time and are looking fantastic. been a while since I've been really looking forward to watching us play and I've got that feeling back now.
I understand what you are saying but ALF can't get in the Wolves team (with £3.5m Mason only on the bench on Friday) and Maynard not ripping up trees at MK - okay I know he scored against us at theirs. But when it comes down to it they, and Doyle and Revell for that matter, were simply not good enough and neither is Macheda who has only been on the bench recently due to injury absence of other players.. For whatever reason the guys we have now seem to have gelled and give us more movement and mobility than the above 4 with Pilks and Immers showing they know where the back of the net is. Maybe Slade was forced into this but it appears to be working. I'll reserve longer term judgement until after this week's 2 games. 6 points from those may well see us in a play off position.
Can't help thinking he's maybe grown into the job as he has gained experience. It may be luck that got this formation rather than thinking it through.... but the good manager will learn from this and flourish.
Slade in Slade out, its a roller coaster of emotions. The football recently has been great. Bring on filthy Leeds. I just hope we don't fluff our lines on tuesday. We do however look good now and Immers is the difference
I think the vast improvement in our starting 11 provided by a loan player who was at Blackburn and a dutch league reject show how much we over rated some of what we had imo. Immers and Lawrence have really added some quality. It's no surprise Pilks and Whits are playing better with better performances around them. The one that's really slipped under the radar on here is O keef. Very much a Slade signing. I'm not sure why he had to sit on the shelf for so long but him and Ralls look a proper pairing in the middle
I think it's more a "finding the missing link" rather than an improvement in the quality of the squad. Neither Immers nor Lawrence are world beaters, they've just been the catalyst that's brought out another dimension to our game. Along with O'Keefe's emergence from the shadows, I'd like to think that was Slade's plan all along, but seroiusly doubt it. The problem before was the opposite to the old adage - "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". It was bloody broke and Slade refused to fix it. The removal of Jones, Revell and to some extent Mason has seen the side transformed. No obvious target man has thrown Pilks into the fray up front and Immers provides the strength alongside him that Mason lacked. Why the bloody hell did Immers sit out that entire Charlton game on the bench when he'd just scored in his first game for us? I was tamping when Slade brought on Macheda for O'Keefe. I must say that Lawrence still appears to be learning the game to me. He is different I'll grant you, but he needs to lift his head when on a run - there have been several times when a pass was an better option than another touch.
He's rough around the edges (Lawrence) but he's a constant threat. He's won pens, made assists and created chances. His pace means he'll always be a problem. If he adds finishing to his game he'll spend his career in the PL. He's already a better player than Noone. Immers is just a classic fit for the Championship. He's a really hard working player, bit of skill, bit of intelligence, bit of strength. A good honest player not a world beater, but he's loads better than anything else we've had in that role for a couple of seasons.
Lots of things that I can agree with and others I find quite contentious, however guys, having listened to RS interview after our win on Saturday there are things that shone through. He is both humble and honest in his appraisal of this clubs supporters, players and staff, factors that I believe VT sees as important and refreshing after his dealings wit MM and SH. This is why I think VT backs him likes he does....Honesty and in return VT places a lot of trust in him? I dont really care how we have reached new levels in our style of play, but we have, and hopefully we will make the play offs? Well done Mr Slade....
City for once had a good January window with Lawrence and Immers coming in and Jones, Revell and Mason going out. Too late though, it should have happened last summer. It's too premature to talk of next season. We cannot forget the terrible football served up and the stubborn sticking to 4-4-2 with Gunnarrsson & Whittingham in central midfield until he saw the light and changed it. However he still only very recently probablly cost us points by not playing Immers at Charlton and either MK Dons or Rotherham at home, and didn't make attacking substitutions when we were struggling to break down these 3 clubs - 3 points rather than 7 at least were there for the taking. I applaud his recent change in formation, and bringing in good players but he still has a lot to answer for in our failure to be knocking on the top 2's door in this most average of divisions.
