Slade pays high price for defensive frailties (From The Argus)

Slade pays high price for defensive frailties

10:30am Monday 2nd November 2009 in

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Albion 3 - Hartlepool 3

A SIX-goal stalemate against Hartlepool at Withdean last season cost Albion a place in the second round of the FA Cup.

The consequences of a repeat result were far more severe this time, costing the manager his job.

The Seagulls’ failure to secure a desperately needed home victory was the final nail in the coffin for Russell Slade and he was haunted by defensive shortcomings right to the finish.

What a pity that Nicky Forster, Albion’s talismanic club captain, cannot be in two places at once, cannot bring his knowledge, experience and vocal influence into play at centre-half as well as centre-forward.

Because a defensive equivalent of Forster is exactly what Albion and Slade's successor will need to stop chucking goals and results away.

You do not have to search very hard for the fundamental reason why Slade has lost his job.

Only eight points out of 18 have been taken from games in which they have scored twice or more.

Forster and Liam Dickinson have netted 12 goals in 11 starts together, 13 in total, which is a very healthy return from your strike force.

By way of striking contrast, this was the fifth time Albion have conceded three or more goals and they have let in two on a further three occasions.

Defence? What defence?

It was not for the want of trying on Slade’s part. Hampered by injuries and red cards, he used just about every conceivable combination but incompetence at the back continued to undermine him.

I feel sorry for Graeme Smith, who replaced Michel Kuipers for what turned out to be Slade’s final fling.

The Scottish keeper could not be blamed for any of the goals but, apart from Gavin Hoyte, none of the back four did enough to be sure of their places in the FA Cup at Wycombe on Saturday – who ever is in charge.

Slade’s faith in Tommy Elphick backfired. His stroppy reaction to being substituted in the second half was hopefully about self-recrimination and frustration, because, based on performance, he could have no complaints.

This is not the Tommy Elphick who looked such a good prospect when he had the guidance and steadyness of Guy Butters alongside him.

Elphick was not alone. James Tunnicliffe, recalled at the expense of skipper Adam Virgo, did not get tight enough to Adam Boyd for Hartlepool’s early opener.

Tunnicliffe and Virgo finished the game together and it was a surprise that they did not start together after faring pretty well for one-and-a-half games at Millwall and at home to Wycombe in the league.

The disappointing Arron Davies apart, there was nothing wrong with Albion going forward. They were a constant threat and could easily have doubled their tally.

There was nothing wrong with the spirit and character of the side either as they came from behind twice after a grim start.

Elphick had already given Boyd too much time and room when he fired wide from a Neil Austin cross. Tunnicliffe repeated the crime and Boyd made no mistake second time around.

Albion’s response was heartwarming, Dickinson’s equaliser well deserved on the balance of play.

A cross from Hoyte was laid acrobatically back into his path by Forster. Dickinson's ferocious first shot rebounded back to him off Hartlepool captain Sam Collins.

His follow-up, struck into the ground, was much less convincing but looped over Scott Flinders, who seemed to mistime his backward leap.

Super build-up play between Elliott Bennett and Dickinson ended with Bennett’s cross reaching, via a mis-hit from Davies, Forster at the far post and his aim was clinical.

Albion had the contest by the scruff of the neck at this point and should have gone on to win handsomely, yet contrived to gift Hartlepool two goals in as many minutes in the closing stages of the first half.

Elphick and Adam El-Abd went for the same aerial ball, only to lose out and leave Boyd in space behind them.

He fed Andy Monkhouse, who feigned to shoot left-footed before cutting inside an over-stretched defence to slot comfortably home with his right.

The Seagulls were all at sea again after cheaply giving away possession in the middle of the park. Hartlepool had men over in the box as Ritchie Jones turned to fire in sub Colin Larkin’s cross.

A crecsendo of boos greeted the half-time whistle but the fans were cheering again three minutes into the restart.

El-Abd's quick thinking from a free-kick gave Bennett space to cross. Tunnicliffe was foiled at close quarters by Flinders but the ball came back out for Forster to ram Albion level once more.

They knocked at the door for the rest of the game without quite forcing it open, leaving Dickinson, like Gary Dicker before him, to offer an accurate appraisal of where the real blame lies for Slade’s sacking.

He said: “You can drill it into people as much as you want but, at the end of the day, as soon as the players step onto the pitch it’s their responsibility and if we are giving stupid goals away it’s our fault, not the manager’s.”

Albion (4-4-2): Smith; Hoyte, Elphick (Virgo 65), Tunnicliffe, El-Abd; Bennett, Dicker, Crofts, A. Davies (Cox 65); Dickinson, Forster.

Subs not used: Kuipers, Navarro, Hart, Murray, Thornhill.

Goals: Dickinson (27), Forster (39), (48).

Yellow cards: None.

Hartlepool (4-4-2): Flinders; Austin, Collins, Liddle, Hartley; McSweeney (Larkin 45), Jones (Sweeney 46), Humphreys, Monkhouse; Behan (Greulich 80), Boyd.

Subs not used: Haslam, Fredriksen, Cook, Bjornsson.

Goals: Boyd (6), Monkhouse (43), Jones (45).

Yellow cards: Hartley (61) foul, Behan (69) kicking ball away.