Give Slade the job until end of next season

Chairman Dick Knight has assured Slade keeping the post beyond May is not dependent on the Seagulls surviving in League One, which is probably just as well.

They have taken only four points from six matches since he was appointed and are staring relegation in the face after drawing a game they desperately needed to win but there are still sound reasons for giving him a proper chance.

For a start, how many of the applicants who wanted to take charge a few weeks ago will fancy the job in League Two?

If Albion make the drop, Slade already has a track record of success at that level, having guided Grimsby to the play-off final.

What about the multitude of players out of contract at the end of the season? At least Slade will have worked with them for a couple of months.

If Albion go down and he goes, who will be responsible for those decisions then? Yet another new manager will have no inside knowledge to make informed judgements.

There have also been enough signs so far, even though results have been modest, that Slade can mould an effective side.

He will certainly not be afraid either to clear the decks and start again from scratch, which is precisely what is needed after such a disastrous campaign.

Albion’s latest performance was, in some respects, more encouraging than Slade's only victory so far.

That came in the previous home game against his previous employers. It was a 5-0 romp but relegation rivals Yeovil were absolutely woeful.

Tranmere are a different kettle of fish, a team pressing for the play-offs, although this result hardly helps their cause either.

The Seagulls made them look very average in the first half, when they were much the better side and could easily have gone in at least a goal to the good.

Rovers improved in a second half played in torrential rain and, although Albion’s attacking impetus petered out, they had the consolation of consecutive clean sheets at home for the first time this season.

Slade said: “It wasn’t to be but it was more like a Russell Slade side in terms of the commitment and endeavour.

“You saw a team that was together and seemed to know what they were doing, with a great work ethic.”

Nobody who was at Withdean would quarrel with that summary. In ordinary circumstances the performance and result would have been quite satisfactory but Albion find themselves in an extraordinary mess.

Gary Dicker, quietly competent on his debut on loan from Stockport for the rest of the season, became the 40th different player used in the first team.

That is a nonsense at this level. A lot of Premier League clubs probably cannot match that figure. Dicker’s observations, after swapping the right half of the table for the wrong end, are interesting. “There are some good players down here and I think there is definitely enough quality in the team to stay up,” said the young Irish midfielder.

“We certainly have the strikers to do it. I thought Glenn Murray did very well while he was on.

“A few of the lads at Stockport spoke highly of him and he impressed me.”

It was good to see the classy Murray back in action after his hernia problems, which caught up with him again midway through the second half.

Whether he will still be here next season is debateable, because he is too good to drop back into League Two.

It was unfortunate for Slade that Nicky Forster was ruled out by a knee injury sustained in training on Friday.

Forster has now missed 12 matches this season, Murray 20, yet they have still scored 15 and 12 goals respectively.

Imagine if they had both been available all the time or, perhaps more to the point, where on earth Albion would be without them?

Goals from other areas of the team have been criminally sparse. Adam Virgo, so much better back in his best position at centre-half, comes next with five, although he has only scored once in open play since early August.

Dean Cox is fourth in the charts with four. He almost repeated his brace against Yeovil but a scissors kick volley inside the opening minute flashed just wide and a 20-yard shot in the opening quarter of the contest was acrobatically denied by Danny Coyne.

The keeper came to Tranmere’s rescue again in the closing stages with a smothering stop to foil Craig Davies, now goalless in nine appearances since registering on his debut against Peterborough.

One goal will do at MK Dons on Saturday, as along as it is accompanied by another shut-out.

Albion (4-4-2): Kuipers; Whing, Virgo, Hinshelwood, Borrowdale; Davies, Dicker, Bangura, Cox; Murray, Owusu. Subs: Carole for Murray (injured 70), El-Abd for Bangura (injured 78), Mayo for Borrowdale (injured 83), McLeod, Sullivan.

Goals: None.

Red cards: None.

Yellow cards: None.

Tranmere (4-4-2): Coyne; Edds, Goodison, Chorley, Cresswell; Sonko, Kay, Jennings, Barnett; Savage, Moore. Subs: Curran for Moore (withdrawn 73), Taylor, Waterfall, Achterberg, Burns.

Goals: None.

Red cards: None.

Yellow cards: None.