Post by Macmoish on Sept 23, 2010 11:25:21 GMT
He's training at Orient
I have a soft spot for Orient I don't wish Quashie upon them
Simon Johnson/The Standard
Russell Slade never complains about taking work home every night
Simon Johnson
23.09.10
Most people have suffered at least one bad day at the office in their lives and can identify with the desire to get as far away from the workplace as possible to get your mind off things.
Leyton Orient manager Russell Slade can't escape thinking about his team's disappointing start to the season, though, because he resides in one of the flats that have been built at the club's Matchroom Stadium.
They go into the London derby at home to Brentford tomorrow night propping up the League One table having earned just four points from their first seven games.
His wife Lisa and four children are living more than 200 miles away in Scarborough, meaning he is all alone most evenings to worry about the side's plight. Yet Slade believes that his arrangement will be to the benefit of the club, even though he naturally misses his family.
He said: “I live right by the ground in one of the flats so my mind is 24/7 on the job. I look out over the Olympic Stadium rather than the pitch — I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing! Most people get the chance to get away from the office if they have a bad day but I wouldn't want it any other way.
“I come back from training and work in the office for a few hours and then go to my flat. I love my job and enjoy the fact my finger is on the pulse and I'm right on top of things.
“If things are going wrong, rather than walk away from it, I'd rather address it and hit it face on, work harder to turn that corner. Experience tells me you can turn things around if you put the effort in.
“In an ideal world, all the family would be together but they come down to London regularly and will be here this weekend again. It is something you have to manage, it is not ideal but we make the most of it. I have three boys aged 17, 12, eight and a five-year-old girl, who is the hardest work of them all. We speak every day and I see them as often as I can.
“They're used to it because that is the world of football. Lisa understands and they're very supportive.”
It was at Scarborough between 2001-04 where Slade first made a real name for himself as a talented manager outside the Football League.
In his first season he steered them to 12th place, which was a remarkable achievement considering the club were bottom and seemingly heading out of the division when he took charge in November 2001.
Since then he has established a reputation for succeeding against the odds having taken Grimsby and Yeovil to a League Two and League One play-off Final respectively. He also took charge of Brighton and Leyton Orient at the latter stages of the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons when they were deep in trouble and ensured they maintained their League One status.
So little wonder he is still sleeping well at night despite Orient's current position in the table and his close proximity to the scene of the crime.
The 49-year-old, who signed a two-year contract in May, added: “Situations like this are not going to phase me. We're going in the right direction. I have been at some clubs like Brighton when it wasn't and we won five and drew one of our last seven games to stay up.
“There is plenty of time. I do believe this team will get better and results will pick up. We're only seven weeks into the season and have made lots of changes to the team.
“We have been competitive in all our games and the only one I have been disappointed in was the defeat to Dagenham and Redbridge in the local derby, so we don't want a repeat of that in another local game against Brentford.
“We have only conceded four goals from open play, the rest have been from set-pieces and it's something we're working on to avoid.
“The main problem is communication and you get that with a new team. They need to organise each other better in the heat of the moment.”
Some of his patience stems from having started out as a teacher of PE at the Frank Wheldon School in Nottingham before he began his football career at Notts County.
He could have gone into football earlier but took the rare decision to work on his education first.
Slade added: “At 18 I had a chance to go to Notts County but I got into university so I went away to get a degree in sport instead. I did four years' training and then did about a year's teaching in school before I went to Notts County as a player and a coach.
“My experiences helped me be more prepared and organised. I took numerous coaching courses and it allows you to be really open minded and dealing with different situations. I had qualifications to be a coach in swimming, athletics, badminton, basketball, cricket and tennis. It not only broadens your horizons but allows you to look at things in different ways.”
Slade has found motivating players a bit easier after overseeing the task of inspiring children and recognises how the introduction of a new face can improve the atmosphere.
That is why he is more than happy to allow former Scotland and Queens Park Rangers midfielder Nigel Quashie to join in training while he looks for a new club.
He said: “It can be beneficial for both parties. If it's for a few days or a few weeks it's a good thing to have a fresh face in the building and have a bit of positivity rub off. Nigel is a quality player and he may be able to help some of our youngsters along the way.”
Slade will be even happier if it helps secure victory against Brentford.
www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23881351-russell-slade-never-complains-about-taking-work-home-every-night.do
I have a soft spot for Orient I don't wish Quashie upon them
Simon Johnson/The Standard
Russell Slade never complains about taking work home every night
Simon Johnson
23.09.10
Most people have suffered at least one bad day at the office in their lives and can identify with the desire to get as far away from the workplace as possible to get your mind off things.
Leyton Orient manager Russell Slade can't escape thinking about his team's disappointing start to the season, though, because he resides in one of the flats that have been built at the club's Matchroom Stadium.
They go into the London derby at home to Brentford tomorrow night propping up the League One table having earned just four points from their first seven games.
His wife Lisa and four children are living more than 200 miles away in Scarborough, meaning he is all alone most evenings to worry about the side's plight. Yet Slade believes that his arrangement will be to the benefit of the club, even though he naturally misses his family.
He said: “I live right by the ground in one of the flats so my mind is 24/7 on the job. I look out over the Olympic Stadium rather than the pitch — I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing! Most people get the chance to get away from the office if they have a bad day but I wouldn't want it any other way.
“I come back from training and work in the office for a few hours and then go to my flat. I love my job and enjoy the fact my finger is on the pulse and I'm right on top of things.
“If things are going wrong, rather than walk away from it, I'd rather address it and hit it face on, work harder to turn that corner. Experience tells me you can turn things around if you put the effort in.
“In an ideal world, all the family would be together but they come down to London regularly and will be here this weekend again. It is something you have to manage, it is not ideal but we make the most of it. I have three boys aged 17, 12, eight and a five-year-old girl, who is the hardest work of them all. We speak every day and I see them as often as I can.
“They're used to it because that is the world of football. Lisa understands and they're very supportive.”
It was at Scarborough between 2001-04 where Slade first made a real name for himself as a talented manager outside the Football League.
In his first season he steered them to 12th place, which was a remarkable achievement considering the club were bottom and seemingly heading out of the division when he took charge in November 2001.
Since then he has established a reputation for succeeding against the odds having taken Grimsby and Yeovil to a League Two and League One play-off Final respectively. He also took charge of Brighton and Leyton Orient at the latter stages of the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons when they were deep in trouble and ensured they maintained their League One status.
So little wonder he is still sleeping well at night despite Orient's current position in the table and his close proximity to the scene of the crime.
The 49-year-old, who signed a two-year contract in May, added: “Situations like this are not going to phase me. We're going in the right direction. I have been at some clubs like Brighton when it wasn't and we won five and drew one of our last seven games to stay up.
“There is plenty of time. I do believe this team will get better and results will pick up. We're only seven weeks into the season and have made lots of changes to the team.
“We have been competitive in all our games and the only one I have been disappointed in was the defeat to Dagenham and Redbridge in the local derby, so we don't want a repeat of that in another local game against Brentford.
“We have only conceded four goals from open play, the rest have been from set-pieces and it's something we're working on to avoid.
“The main problem is communication and you get that with a new team. They need to organise each other better in the heat of the moment.”
Some of his patience stems from having started out as a teacher of PE at the Frank Wheldon School in Nottingham before he began his football career at Notts County.
He could have gone into football earlier but took the rare decision to work on his education first.
Slade added: “At 18 I had a chance to go to Notts County but I got into university so I went away to get a degree in sport instead. I did four years' training and then did about a year's teaching in school before I went to Notts County as a player and a coach.
“My experiences helped me be more prepared and organised. I took numerous coaching courses and it allows you to be really open minded and dealing with different situations. I had qualifications to be a coach in swimming, athletics, badminton, basketball, cricket and tennis. It not only broadens your horizons but allows you to look at things in different ways.”
Slade has found motivating players a bit easier after overseeing the task of inspiring children and recognises how the introduction of a new face can improve the atmosphere.
That is why he is more than happy to allow former Scotland and Queens Park Rangers midfielder Nigel Quashie to join in training while he looks for a new club.
He said: “It can be beneficial for both parties. If it's for a few days or a few weeks it's a good thing to have a fresh face in the building and have a bit of positivity rub off. Nigel is a quality player and he may be able to help some of our youngsters along the way.”
Slade will be even happier if it helps secure victory against Brentford.
www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23881351-russell-slade-never-complains-about-taking-work-home-every-night.do