When Russell Slade resigned as Leyton Orient manager in September of 2014, few could blame him. Play-off heartbreak, job threats and interest from the Championship bought an end to Slade’s reign at Brisbane Road. However, since Slade departed E10 he has struggled in the four jobs he has had since, this article looks at what went wrong for the man who has recently been sacked by Grimsby.
Russell Slade’s four-year tenure at Orient was the most successful in the 58-year olds 24-year career. Slade is one of few managers to reach the top of the professional ladder without ever making an appearance as a player. Slade’s career took off after brief caretaker positions at Notts County, and Sheffield United, when he was handed the reigns at Scarborough. A 4th place finish in the league and a FA Cup tie against Premier League giants Chelsea, resulted in Slade being offered the managerial role at Grimsby. After a disappointing first season he managed to guide Grimsby to a play-off final defeat. Something that would begin to haunt his career.
Nonetheless, Yeovil Town and League 1 came calling for a man who had the attention of most clubs lower down the football league. A fifth-place finish and a victory over Nottingham forest in the semi-final of the playoffs, meant Slade had a chance at promotion again. However, in a season that yet again ended in play-off heartbreak with defeat to Blackpool, it was a year to remember for Slade personally after picking up the manager of the year award. Two further years at Yeovil and a brief tenure at Brighton, saw Slade take over London’s second oldest club, Leyton Orient.
Many Orient fans have the fondest memories of their club under the leadership of Russell Slade. In his first season at the O’s Slade won three of the clubs last six games to keep them in the division. The following season Orient finished 7th, narrowly missing out on a play-off spot, but managed to reach the 5th round of the FA cup earning a dramatic replay against Arsenal, which meant the name Jonathan Tehoue will live long in the memory for all associated with Leyton Orient. However, it was the 2013-14 season at Leyton Orient that would be cherished by many but concluded in an all too familiar way for one man. Leyton Orient kicked off the campaign in extraordinary fashion, winning their first 8 games and unbeaten in their first 12, meant club records were being rewrote. Players such as Dean Cox and David Mooney had the season of their careers coinciding with new talent such as the breakthrough of sensation Moses Odubajo took league 1 by storm. Slade had built a true team. Never spending a transfer fee on a player at his time with Orient was true testament to the job he had done at the O’s. By May, the accumulation of 86 points had seen Orient miss out on automatic promotion to Wolves and Brentford.
Nevertheless, a familiar process was staring down the eyes at Russell Slade and his Orient side. Victory against Peterborough in the semi-final meant Orient were at Wembley, and would it be third time lucky on a personal level for Russell Slade. Over 24,000 fans flooded into Wembley Stadium to watch Orient take a 2-goal advantage, courtesy of Moses Odubajo and Dean Cox. Half time at Wembley and it was a fairy-tale atmosphere, the perfect end to the perfect season, unless of course, you support Leyton Orient. A brace from Former Orient striker Alex Revell, and one of the best individual goals to ever be scored at Wembley meant penalties. The cruellest of ways to lose a football match, and that blow was dealt to Leyton Orient. Russell Slade had lost a play-off final for the third time in his career and a seasons worth of work, lost in a Chris Dagnall penalty.
The disappointment of Rotherham and penalty upset was quickly forgotten after a takeover of Orient by Italian businessman Francesco Becchetti. The early signs of just how toxic this spell in Orient’s History was going to be could be seen early on when Slade was threatened with the sack after a slow start to the 2014/15 season. After a fall out with the Italian Hierarchy, Slade walked and was quickly appointed as manager of Cardiff City, the highest position he had ever held.
In the 4-year spell that followed his departure from Orient, Russell Slade has failed to complete more the 2 years at any of the four jobs he has had since. These have included managerial positions at Cardiff, Charlton Coventry and most recently Grimsby. A mediocre reign at Cardiff City followed in quick dismissals by Cardiff and Coventry, with win ratios of 23% and 18% respectively. It is no surprise to see his tenures lasted no longer than 5 months. After a 22-year personal rise through the divisions to the Championship Slade found himself back in League 2 with Grimsby Town in the space of 3 short years. After an initial positive impact, a 12-match winless run resulted in Slade being dismissed in February 2018.
It is a shame to see the demise of Slade’s managerial career so quickly after the work and effort he put into climbing through the divisions. The job he done at Orient will forever be cherished by many O’s fans and he will always remain a popular figure down at Brisbane Road.
I just hope that one day a terrace somewhere across the country will sing ‘He has no hair, but we don’t care, Russell, Russell Slade’ once more.
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