TB: Family Trust


I never thought my cousin would make it into the pages of literature as prestigious as this, but stranger things have happened. This by virtue of my cousin’s generational support of Leyton Orient, a team which for a slightly glorious few years, was managed by a certain Russell Slade. ‘Hark!’ I thought to myself, ‘What can we deduce from his prior management work at Brisbane Road? Will it indicate any sort of upturn in The Whites’ fortunes?’ The conclusion: meh!

Slade did have great success at Orient. He took over a team set to be relegated to League Two and brought them on the verge of the play-offs the following season. A cup run which took them all the way to Arsenal also followed. Whilst the following season represented a disappointment, the team rebounded to finish 3rd, narrowly missing out on promotion in the play-off final. Slade was also awarded Manager of the Year for that season and later went off to Cardiff on the back of such successes.

Most remarkable through all of this was the fact that he didn’t spend any money on players, relying on frees and the players he had inherited. This would therefore suggest that coming into Hereford, a team whose budget had been largely exhausted by Harris & Co., he would be able to work his magic.

And yet it has somehow not panned out that way.  It was sods law that the day after I finished this article, Slade was hooked. For what it’s worth, I don’t believe his interim replacement will be able to do a better job with the current crop of players. Not to mention, I’m fairly certain that this year is very scarily over budget, at least compared to what financial limits we might have set ourselves at the start of this season.

I do think we need to accept that we are no longer the biggest fish in the pond. Pedigree gets you nowhere on the pitch and we are up against many full-time teams. Whilst I’m here I may as well wade in on the “full time” debate. Against. Strongly against. Our budget would simply explode with no guarantees of results. I think it would take promotion to the Conference for me to consider going pro, let alone actually suggesting it.

Slade’s perceived failure here will damage his long-term career prospects if he has any (his two previous jobs also ended prematurely), but I think club stability is a necessary price to pay for immediate success.  After Slade left Orient, they went on a slippery slope of their own, partially due to rash managerial changes. The Whites would do well to avoid such harm coming to them.

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