Is O'connor up to the job??

[Scott11]

Maybe hea deflecting the blast? He did it at Leinster,blamed everyone and everything apart from himself!

[Stephen18]

He can’t go cause if he did, them as surely who ever was part of the world wide recruitment team on the board would also have to step down and their not going to admit that they’re also a major part of the problem with the club investing in vanity projects like the hotels and car parks rather than top quality training facilities, coaches and player development.

[Ian Cant]

I know he is an ex Tiger but Paul Gustard is the coach that could do a very good job. Get him as forwards/ defence coach with a view to being head coach. Well done Cockers, Edinburgh beat Glasgow.
I shall continue to cheer the team on but, come on The Board,get a grip. Why allow such a great club as ours to keep limping on with no decent forwards coach, scrum coach, defence coach in place. Like it or not we are going backwards and some brave decisions need taking. If Tigers don’t make top six then maybe a proper review of the club will be conducted!
All the fans want and deserve, at the moment, is some honesty from the club and to see very good players do the basics well. Quins( their team on the day looked weaker than ours today) beat Sarries with a sensible tactic: kick intelligently, chase like Mad Dog Moody and get in their faces at every opportunity. Today again kicking was poor, forwards played as individuals and again no threat of turnovers. As for running lines we seem to either stand still or walk. Just get the bl—day basics right.
Lastly, and call me for it, give Thacker a chance at 7 because at the moment we have no nuisance factor! Merry Christmas to all fans.

[jgriffin]

We had a huge discussion with Stains-inlaws about the current malaise. They want to see the back of Nobby, being Stains fans. They'd have liked to get Cockers instead. Their take on Tiger's is that BoD have lost their way, but not in the way the Barwells did. Tiger's needed a world class coach and didn't get one. Disorganization and demoralisation are compounded by poor coaching. They saw the sidelining of King as a factor in Stains collapse, they saw the introduction of Mauger/Hansen as the fatal catalyst at Tiger's. They also see the issues of both as compounded by the way the game has changed .

[voice of the crumbie]

He can’t go cause if he did, them as surely who ever was part of the world wide recruitment team on the board would also have to step down and their not going to admit that they’re also a major part of the problem with the club investing in vanity projects like the hotels and car parks rather than top quality training facilities, coaches and player development.

The so-called vanity projects are to provide additional cash for the playing side so they're essential for the things you suggest Tigers should be investing in.

[Scott11]

Leicester were falling apart long before Mauger came in,Cockers wasdoing a good job of that all by himself!

[JP14]

He can’t go cause if he did, them as surely who ever was part of the world wide recruitment team on the board would also have to step down and their not going to admit that they’re also a major part of the problem with the club investing in vanity projects like the hotels and car parks rather than top quality training facilities, coaches and player development.

There 2 different :censored budgets which are unaffected by each other, I have played at Oval Park, while the actual Oadby Wigs bit is shabby that is nothing to do with the Tigers and their training centre is modern, built in 2014, and pretty nice. As for player development there are loads of players I can think of that could get into the senior squad (for example Worth, Reffell, White, Simmons, Hardwick, Heyes, Hills, Tuilagi) and Dusty Hare is back, what more do u :censored want.

[jgriffin]

Leicester were falling apart long before Mauger came in,Cockers wasdoing a good job of that all by himself!

Use the slider on your trombone Scott, that way you get more than one note out. You frankly haven't got a clue otherwise.

[Stephen18]

He can’t go cause if he did, them as surely who ever was part of the world wide recruitment team on the board would also have to step down and their not going to admit that they’re also a major part of the problem with the club investing in vanity projects like the hotels and car parks rather than top quality training facilities, coaches and player development.

The so-called vanity projects are to provide additional cash for the playing side so they're essential for the things you suggest Tigers should be investing in.

I understand the point of them but how long will that take to stat repaying themselves 10 years look how far we’ve fallen in 5 years where will we be in another 10.

[quote=Stephen18 post_id=680651 time=<a href="tel:1514144648">1514144648</a> user_id=12229]
He can’t go cause if he did, them as surely who ever was part of the world wide recruitment team on the board would also have to step down and their not going to admit that they’re also a major part of the problem with the club investing in vanity projects like the hotels and car parks rather than top quality training facilities, coaches and player development.

There 2 different :censored budgets which are unaffected by each other, I have played at Oval Park, while the actual Oadby Wigs bit is shabby that is nothing to do with the Tigers and their training centre is modern, built in 2014, and pretty nice. As for player development there are loads of players I can think of that could get into the senior squad (for example Worth, Reffell, White, Simmons, Hardwick, Heyes, Hills, Tuilagi) and Dusty Hare is back, what more do u :censored want.
[/quote]
I do appreciate how politely you’ve made your point and although tigers are a major company, it’s hard to find millions out of nowhere when you aren’t expecting to have to buy a car park because it’s being sold to the highest bidder. I don’t know any company who save millions just for the sakes of it, it’s got to come from some where. As for the training ground it wasn’t built in 2014 it was revamped but even still it is behind the standards of other clubs and tigers where looking to buy ang build a new training ground but pulled out of the sale.

[JP14]

I do appreciate how politely you’ve made your point and although tigers are a major company, it’s hard to find millions out of nowhere when you aren’t expecting to have to buy a car park because it’s being sold to the highest bidder. I don’t know any company who save millions just for the sakes of it, it’s got to come from some where. As for the training ground it wasn’t built in 2014 it was revamped but even still it is behind the standards of other clubs and tigers where looking to buy ang build a new training ground but pulled out of the sale.

I was referring to the centre not the ground, and the access and parking to it is difficult and it doesn’t have an all-weather pitch but that means buying more Oadby Wigs ground and they will only need to train on it for 3 weeks a year probably pending weather and which plastic club they are playing so that isn’t worthwhile investment

[voice of the crumbie]

I do appreciate how politely you’ve made your point and although tigers are a major company, it’s hard to find millions out of nowhere when you aren’t expecting to have to buy a car park because it’s being sold to the highest bidder. I don’t know any company who save millions just for the sakes of it, it’s got to come from some where. As for the training ground it wasn’t built in 2014 it was revamped but even still it is behind the standards of other clubs and tigers where looking to buy ang build a new training ground but pulled out of the sale.

I was referring to the centre not the ground, and the access and parking to it is difficult and it doesn’t have an all-weather pitch but that means buying more Oadby Wigs ground and they will only need to train on it for 3 weeks a year probably pending weather and which plastic club they are playing so that isn’t worthwhile investment

Loughborough Uni. with whom the club have a co-operative relationship, have, I'm pretty sure, a pitch which is similar (if not the same) in composition to some of the "plastic" pitches that are making an appearance these days. I have a vague recollection of reading that, last season in the week before a game at either Allianz Park or Newcastle, Tigers were offered the opportunity to train on it midweek and did not take up the offer.

[JP14]

Loughborough Uni. with whom the club have a co-operative relationship, have, I'm pretty sure, a pitch which is similar (if not the same) in composition to some of the "plastic" pitches that are making an appearance these days. I have a vague recollection of reading that, last season in the week before a game at either Allianz Park or Newcastle, Tigers were offered the opportunity to train on it midweek and did not take up the offer.

I'm pretty sure now that we have a deal between Tigers and the University, that before Falcon/Sarries matches it would be wise to train on a plastic pitch.

[voice of the crumbie]

Loughborough Uni. with whom the club have a co-operative relationship, have, I'm pretty sure, a pitch which is similar (if not the same) in composition to some of the "plastic" pitches that are making an appearance these days. I have a vague recollection of reading that, last season in the week before a game at either Allianz Park or Newcastle, Tigers were offered the opportunity to train on it midweek and did not take up the offer.

I'm pretty sure now that we have a deal between Tigers and the University, that before Falcon/Sarries matches it would be wise to train on a plastic pitch.

Yes, it probably would be wise. My point is that given the opportunity Tigers didn't take it up.

[JP14]

Loughborough Uni. with whom the club have a co-operative relationship, have, I'm pretty sure, a pitch which is similar (if not the same) in composition to some of the "plastic" pitches that are making an appearance these days. I have a vague recollection of reading that, last season in the week before a game at either Allianz Park or Newcastle, Tigers were offered the opportunity to train on it midweek and did not take up the offer.

I'm pretty sure now that we have a deal between Tigers and the University, that before Falcon/Sarries matches it would be wise to train on a plastic pitch.

Yes, it probably would be wise. My point is that given the opportunity Tigers didn't take it up.

My guess is that Cockers was being too stubborn

[trendylfj]

In answer to the question - I don't know but I do have doubts. I never held with the idea of he had to be experienced in the PL, or that he needed to know Tigers. At the time we were looking I said that there should be only one criteria and that was that he was the best man available to do the job. Why that had to be outsourced to a recruitment firm I have no idea. The players know who are the best coaches around and who they would be willing to work for and with. I would have hoped that their views were taken and were considered as the most important.

Secondly, the coach and his team need time - have we got the right team of coaches - not yet as we still need a proven lineout/forwards coach. Stanko is fine and has certainly improved our scrum but the lineout is still in need of great improvement. We also seem as though we are going to need a skills/backs coach in the very near future.

Finally have we got the right players and again the answer has to be no - too many have contributed little or nothing to the first team match day squad particularly some of our new signings. Baumann, Fatiaki, Kerr, Pakalani, Ryan, and Traynor as examples. Yes some have been injured and some are out of favour it seems - Rizzo, Catchpole, O'Connor and McGuigan. If you then add in Brady, Cilliers, Thacker and Holmes as not 1st choice and Crofts retirement you have 15 players who to a greater or lesser extent are not too important to the club. I would argue that that is too high and that O'Connor has signed too many of them.

IMHO we need a true open side - no idea who or if Evans, Hamilton or B O'C are the answer to that issue. A top class 2nd row/enforcer - is Spencer the answer to that - again I don't know but if we solve these 2 problems it will go a long way to getting us on the right track. I would hope that O'Connor asks a couple of the senior players advice on this. They play against them and chat about them amongst themselves and their views should be listened to - not all of them - would suggest Ben, Tom, Dan and Graham.