Coach and team bashing

[physiodan]

Bored of it now

[tigerbruiser]

So am I... we're sounding like Wendyball whingers.

[smalldell]

It's the start of the season and two players in particular have to step in straight away, in Waldrom and Skivington...they will get better..

The team has people trying to adjust like Woods, who will be a good player for us.

It is very frustrating at the moment but we lost our 10 and to as 12T's to step in at 10 was a very big ask. He was playing well at 12 so leave him alone.

Let's all calm down and get behind the players.

[POSTIGER]

Amen on all fronts. The more I think about it the more I wonder how many genuine Tigers fans post on this forum and how many just come on to troublemake.

[Big Dai]

Ah! Another hoary old chestnut resurfaces! The case of the genuine supporter. Cut him, does he not bleed red white and green? (And on the odd occaision a queer shade of grey?)

Glass half full, Glass half empty? Call it what you will. There will be those who are content to wave their scarves and flags at whatever fare is served upon the sacred turf at chateau Welford Road and those who sit back and think "What the :censored: hell's going on here?"

I have cried (Wept) "Cockerill out...and take that grey shirt with you!" on these fora, as much to get a reaction than anything but there is (to my mind) something missing, some UMPH, some urgency.....and please don't tell me the crowd don't notice it. That cathedral like hush when we trailed to Exeter was a silent as any respect we've ever given to any kicker anywhere. The questions remain.

Was the sum of what we lost in the summer greater than that gained? Is the balance of the side right? Is the "Director of Rugby" a better head coach than he is directorof rugby? If that is so then get the beggar back coaching again and get a new director of rugby!

We are in a professional era. We are not watching 15 locals turn up for the fun of it. We are closer to footie than traditonalists (including me) would like to think. Maybe the mix of players we have is a little too cosmopolitan, a little un Leicesterfor those who remember Rowntree, Cockerill, Garforth, Johnson, Poole, Wells, Back and Richards?

So I guess the answer lies in the soil, that same soil that lies under the sacred turf at Welford road, next week against Leeds. Two old boys will be back (No pun intended) waiting to right some wrongs. Performances have to improve no matter what the state of the glass!

[Gate]

Thing is,Dai, that was a reasoned impassioned piece from a supporter. That's no problem to anyone, and it strikes a chord with me in some respects if I'm honest. It's the whingefests that get on people's nerves, particularly when they come with a side order of self-righteousness..

[Broadstaff]

Yer agree. I reckon the team and coach came in for it yesterday because we usually attack the ref and we couldn't even do that yesterday 'cos Wayne showed why he is No. 1 in the world. You could not hope for a better reffing performance than yesterday's.

[Bill W (2)]

Yer agree. I reckon the team and coach came in for it yesterday because we usually attack the ref and we couldn't even do that yesterday 'cos Wayne showed why he is No. 1 in the world. You could not hope for a better reffing performance than yesterday's.

Do not agree that W. Barnes Esq is No 1 in the world.

But I do agree that he could not be blamed for our defeat on Saturday.

Insofar as it was perfectly forseeable that Staunton would have to leave the field (since he was carrying an injury) and that Murphy would not perform at his very best for 80 minutes, the question as why Plan B failed is a reasonable one to ask, particularly when Plan A was, apparnetly, so successful.

It could well be that it was a combination of individual players not giving as much as they might have, or of the plan not being effectively rehearsed, or then again it might just have been "one of those things".

I am sure Cockers is asking himself and the lads those questions.

[Smurphswillgetya]

Is it a new game this "coach and team bashing"? It could be quite a bit of fun to watch. Hang on a minute - is it a new pub?

[fleabane]

Bill, presumably Plan B included what to do if the FH goes off? It didn't work, as you say. With his lack of Premiership experience, and lack of time at 10 for us, it is no great surprise that 36 couldn't measure up.

So where was a potential replacement? Not Ford, who is regarded as too small (and is also injured). This situation is also likely to occur when Toby is away.

The responsibility, (note: not blame, but responsibility) lies with Cockers, and possibly Wheeler, who should have been able to foresee exactly this scenario. With the WC next year, this issue could continue to raise its head until well into next season with Toby's absence, and the increased physical pressure 10s are under this season. If Jezza is injured, what do we do?

Things are not satisfactory, and it helps no-one ignoring the problems, or claiming that criticism is "bashing" and unjustified. We needed cover at 10, and didn't have it.

Who is responsible for that?

[Phil B]

My personal view on the way the season has started is that the team/management have become complacent. Maybe we were complacent in the first 10 minutes against Saints, and it cost us the game. Geordan's comments after the Exeter game I found incredible - basically he was saying that the win was never really in doubt, it was just a matter of time - well that was not the way it looked to me at one point! The lack of cover at 10 - complacency? You can't prove complacency - it's an attitude of mind - like I say, I think it's there!

[SaltyJackTar]

Bill, presumably Plan B included what to do if the FH goes off? It didn't work, as you say. With his lack of Premiership experience, and lack of time at 10 for us, it is no great surprise that 36 couldn't measure up.

So where was a potential replacement? Not Ford, who is regarded as too small (and is also injured). This situation is also likely to occur when Toby is away.

The responsibility, (note: not blame, but responsibility) lies with Cockers, and possibly Wheeler, who should have been able to foresee exactly this scenario. With the WC next year, this issue could continue to raise its head until well into next season with Toby's absence, and the increased physical pressure 10s are under this season. If Jezza is injured, what do we do?

Things are not satisfactory, and it helps no-one ignoring the problems, or claiming that criticism is "bashing" and unjustified. We needed cover at 10, and didn't have it.

Who is responsible for that?

Without wishing to "bash the coaches" the responsibility must lie with Messrs Cockerill and Wheeler?

If they still consider George Ford to be too young/small for a regular first team place in premiership games then not recruiting a further specialist No 10 would indicate the third choice FH is Billy 12T presumably due to his previous experience at Bedford.

That being the case why on earth has he not given the opportunity to play in that position either off the bench or in Development Team fixtures?

That said I think we do have to "persevere" with Billy and believe that given the opportunity to either start or come off the bench as FH he will be more focussed on his role and we'll see some inspired performances.

[fleabane]

Exactly so SJT! Responsibility rests with coaches, who should either have recruited, or given Billy game time. QED.

But learning the role is not a short term exercise.

[physiodan]

"cockers must go" "murphy, waldrom must be dropped" "tuilagi is rubbish" are all comments cropping up in various forms. Cockers is doing the most difficult job with a tight buget and more fans to satisfy. We don't often win at wasps or saints but sofar we have score 11 tries. 3 bonus points. I'm happy but dissappointed we don't have 2 wins. They will come!