Slade has his work cut out at Cardiff

Fingers crossed he is the man to turn around our fortunes!

http://www.footyplace.com/features/slade-has-his-work-cut-out-at-cardiff-1008301882

I can't really disagree with much of that. I think some of Ole's signings are either overrated or will turn out to have as much an impact on the first team as Velikonja did.

We SHOULD have the team to turn this season around and challenge towards the top of the table but too many teams have proven that the tag 'too good to go down' means nothing.

If Slade can turn things around quickly then we have a chance this season but right at this moment I am looking no further than securing 50+ points for the season.

Velcro never got a chance to impress. Malky didn't want him and that was that. He could have easily gone out on loan, maybe dropping a division, but at least he would have been playing and, you never know what might have been.

On the other hand, some of Ole's signings do have big question marks.......

To be honest, I feel a bit silly liking back. We questioned only briefly at the time the acquisitions of people like Eikrem, Berget, Cala, Zaha, etc. Some have just been stupidly expensive (in terms of performance) buys can while others have possibly done far more damage than just being a bit rubbish - the rumours across CCMB are now too wide and in cases specific to ignore the possibility Cala is a bad egg in terms of behind the scenes morale as well. This season also seems a mixed bag - Le Fondre and Guerrera have been disappointments, And it's debateable whether Morrison is an upgrade or a backstep.

What's kind of gone under the radar is just how damaging losing Hudson has appeared to be. The team as a collective unit of footballing unit is much better, but in terms of morale we seem to have taken a massive step backwards.

I can't believe how ordinary Morrison appears to be, given the reputation he had and Reading's fight to keep him.

Cala, I feel, could have been star for us, but the morale and fitness of the squad appears to have been shocking, as was Ole's man-management. He assembled a huge and, I still believe, quality squad, but never came close to getting the best out of them.

I don't think we will miss Hudson, as both Connolly and Turner are better CBs. What we need is the right player wearing the captain's armband. For me that has to be either Manga or Gunnarsson.

I'm not in the Hudson fan club as you know but I do think we've missed Turner. At this level he's a big no nonsense defender with the added bonus of being left footed.
I still think three centre backs might work for us with our two attacking wingbacks.

Slade has said that he likes to play with two up front, which makes five at the back workable, provided there are no passengers within the midfield three. Gunnarsson, Digkacoi & one of Noone / Pilkington / Daehli / Ravel. Then either Jones & Le Fondre or Macheda & Guerra up front. Jones has already shown that he can do it at this level and the other three are class players, sadly lacking in direction so far.

5-3-2 would be silly considering the bulk of talent we have in the midfield - Noone,Daehli, Ravel and Pilkington all fighting for the same spot? They should all be starting each match.

If he has to have two up front for me it's going to have to be a 4-4-2, but I still think we're missing out not playing a 4-5-1.

Reading his latest interview, he seems like one tough mother. He's coming across as an old fashioned, no nonsense, type of leader. I think the boys are going to work their backsides off for him.

I'm expecting to see a different type of performance against forest

Rhys wrote:Reading his latest interview,  he seems like one tough mother. He's coming across as an old fashioned, no nonsense, type of leader. I think the boys are going to work their backsides off for him.

I'm expecting to see a different type of performance against forest

Win or loss, what I wouldn't give for another one of the games that was routine under Mally - every player on the pitch runs themselves into the ground. Would be stark contrast to anything we have seen since he left, unfortunately.

Red614 wrote:5-3-2 would be silly considering the bulk of talent we have in the midfield - Noone,Daehli, Ravel and Pilkington all fighting for the same spot? They should all be starting each match.

If he has to have two up front for me it's going to have to be a 4-4-2, but I still think we're missing out not playing a 4-5-1.

Playing those four together in midfield is a recipe for disaster. All good players but too lightweight and we would be overpowered. We need to be more pragmatic.

That's why I don't like the 4-4-2 either, I'd rather drop one of the strikers and stick Gunnarrson or a slightly less fat Dikgacoi in the middle of the pitch.

I'm more than happy to eat my words though, don't get me wrong

I'm going to the Vale Monday afternoon to see the Devpt team play Forest. I would think Slade will be there & it will be interesting to see what team he puts out.