Reaction From Brighton Boss Russell Slade

Last updated : 14 September 2009 By Thetashkentterror

Russell Slade
Albion manager Russell Slade spoke to BBC Radio Sussex and the Brighton Argus after his side's 2-0 win over Carlisle at Brunton Park yesterday, Slade pleased with the Seagulls at both ends of the pitch :



" Really delighted that all the hard work we've put in so far in the last couple of weeks has paid dividends really. I thought tactically we were quite astute in terms of our defending and we are always a threat on the break. We have looked at the long throw a little bit and (James) Tunnicliffe is a weapon for us, it was important to keep the ball in the danger area which we did. We won not only the first half on that but we won the second header on that and Nicky (Forster) in that area is very, very dangerous so he got us off to a great start.

" I think it would have killed me if I had brought him off today, he looked as though he might get the three today, he was a thorn in their side. We have done quite a bit of work on Nicky getting down the sides along with Liam (Dickinson). I thought that it paid off, I thought we stretched them out and caused problems.

" The Forster-Dickinson partnership has got a bit better every game and I thought Liam did a great job as the supplier which is what we need. It's been a big part of the start of the season - trying to get partnerships and understanding all over the pitch. It is not always about the best individuals.

" Every time I get Gary Hart stripped to come on we score a goal, it is working so we shall keep doing it. Obviously Gary is a big feature, he was at the end of last season, he will get his minutes on the pitch in due course but also Jake Wright was substitute again today so we are getting him closer to fitness, he will need a game in the week. Jim McNulty is not too far off and Glenn Murray is now running, so they are all good players that could possibly get straight in your side so competition for places is healthy and that is what we appear to be getting slowly but surely. "



" I think our solidness at the back is one of the more pleasing aspects at the minute because we have had to change yet again, we have changed our back four. You want your back four to be nice and solid and reliable and regular, that has not been the case this season but players have come in over recent weeks and have done a really good job. He (Adam El-Abd) was terrific last week and again he has followed the performance up, so great credit to him.

" We have had some tough days - Huddersfield away and Stockport at home - when we have shipped goals but we have worked hard with the back eight, not just the back four, and the players want to improve because that will allow us to progress. When you get clean sheets you give yourselves a great opportunity of moving forward.

" Things did get a bit heated about the penalty claims, obviously they felt strongly that they got a penalty and I thought strongly that we should have had a penalty. So I suppose that we will both have to accept that they evened themselves out. We don't do it the easy way, we do have problems, we have had injuries. We had Dean Cox with a sickness and virus bug, he couldn't make it today at the last minute so we lost him. The boys that have gone into the side have done terrifically well today though.

" I think we have probably had the hardest working side in this league certainly over the last few weeks. I think we continue to get better, we are not making giant strides but we are making small steps and that is the way it needs to be. It is a marathon, 46 games, we have only played six haven't we or seven, so there is an awful long way to go.

" If we keep making little bits of progress and keep getting better, there were still things today that were radically wrong and we need to improve on and we need to be better at. Hopefully we can do that and become a force. The travelling fans today were unbelievable, I don't know how many there were today. Absolutely terrific, they are terrific every week as you know. The chairman is coming back on our plane as well so really I had to win today. "





Meanwhile Albion defender Adam El-Abd commented to the Argus :

" When you are playing with the front four we have - the two wide boys and the two up front - if the back five can keep it solid we know we will always be in with a chance of winning a game. Early on in the season that wasn't the case. We were conceding goals and not giving ourselves a platform to build on. In the last two weeks we have changed that and come out with the three points. "