Peter Wheeler

[cornish tigress]

Getting all girly here but I have admired Peter Wheeler since I was about 13 and he is actually God. So there. He stays. Not, I agree, a particularly cohesive argument, but you have to admire my faithfulness!

[Gate]

It still all stinks, but .....

Out of all the board, probably all the club, Wheeler is the one I would back to the hilt. When I was playing as a nothing-very-much college team hooker, Wheeler was indeed God - and he was Leicester as well and I was so proud that this top figure was my club's man. I'll go with what his judgment says. I don't have to like it (and I don't), but I'll trust it and go with it.

[G.K]

Waffle - you appear to be attributing comments to Simon Redshaw that I can't find that he said, at least on this thread. This does not help the debate at all.

jgriffin - you are indeed correct many of the poor aspects of Tigers preparation and game plan were evident before Loffreda appeared at Tigers. This seems to have been lost on some.

[dailywaffle]

Waffle - you appear to be attributing comments to Simon Redshaw that I can't find that he said, at least on this thread. This does not help the debate at all.

Simon has made it quite clear that the board, and by association Peter Wheeler, have 'got it wrong'. On both this and other threads. He is not alone.
I am sure that Simon, and the many that share his views, will correct me if I am wrong.

gkb, do I now take it that anyone who disappears with you is someone who 'does not help the debate at all' as well being a 'sycophant'?

Perhaps you should argue substantive issues, rather than trying to score petty personal points.

[Ben the Tiger]

He also cancelled his holiday with family to be part of the interviewing process for Tigers.

He has gone up in my estimates a bit now you've said that. Does he or Peter Tom own Tigers?

[Bill W]

I am not related to Peter Wheeler nor am I his spokesperson.

I am confident that he came to the decision to remove Marcelo believing it to be in the best interests of the club.

Should Jake White not come to Tigers I expect Peter to do what he did after the last "Palace revolution" that lead to Deano being fired - namely, take personal command.

[G.K]

Waffle - (appropriate name by the way) - disappears with me? You've lost me there I'm afraid.

Anyway there you go again reading more into my comments than was actually stated, similar situation as with Simon, who I am sure is quite capable of clarifying his own position on this anyway.

So on to what you term 'substantive' issues. But first (and I know some would rather ignore this) lets just remind ourselves of a few facts:

1. Marcel Loffeda was a proven coach at international level. Not only did he take Argentina to third in the world his team beat Ireland, France and England (at Twickenham), plus others in recent times. Somewhat surprising for someone who's methods are 20 years out of date with limited resources.

2. During his first (partial) season at Tigers Lofreda took the team to 2 finals which they lost. Compare that the record of Pat Howard who in his first season lost the PC semi to Wasps and the GP final to Sale and explain to me the difference. We won't bring the HC into the equation but I do clearly recall the 1/4 game against Bath as being pretty dire for Tigers (yes I was there).

3. The Board clearly thought he was the man to take Tigers forward, despite his lack of experience in the GP and his lack of familarity with the 'Leicester Way' and his apparant inability to swear correctly in the pre-match briefings. So please explain why they made the decision then that is so wrong now?

4. It's obvious that to some extent the coaches and some players were against him from early on. To what extent this was we may never know. But how can it be the case that all of the shortcomings in the season were down to the one man? Why are the other coaches not even censured?

Sorry but for me it was either a big mistake to appoint him in the first place, or a big mistake not to give him the correct support in the second place, or a big mistake to fire him in the third place. So which one was it?

[PlymouthPaul]

A vote of no confidence in the board from me.
Getting rid of Deano was the wrong decision and it seems hiring ML was also the wrong decision. In between we have not had the success we feel we deserve.
Then we told ML has gone but we can't really be told why. Patronising rubbish makes me sick.

[Bill W]

Sorry but for me it was either a big mistake to appoint him in the first place, or a big mistake not to give him the correct support in the second place, or a big mistake to fire him in the third place. So which one was it?

Too many assumtion sbehind all that and too simplistic.

With hindsight of course it was a mistake to appoint him;

The correct support? What is that? Perhaps he did not want support. Deano did not want support. And Deano was fired because he refused to accept support.

A mistake to fire him? We will never know. We will only know whether the actions taken after the decision to fire him were adequate and sufficient.

[G.K]

Bill you are surmising even more than I did. Only those in the inner circle will ever know the full details but mistakes were certainly made.

[Bill W]

Bill you are surmising even more than I did. Only those in the inner circle will ever know the full details but mistakes were certainly made.

I did not surmise anything!

But we agree - mistakes were made. And we must now look to the future - can and will Tigers dig themselves out of this mess, get to three finals next year and lift a poit?

[kornboy130]

"He also cancelled his holiday with family to be part of the interviewing process for Tigers."
OK lets get real here, any professional will do this to get the job done. I have to interupt my holidays to deal with the unexpected. Its nothing new so do not be suprised by professionalism in the work place.

So he's being professional about his job. Point proven.

[Bill W]

Actually one wonders why he cancelled his holiday. According to reports he had been concerned since January. And had doubtless voiced these concerns.

Did he think that of he was away someone would stab him in the back?