Painful!

[Ian Cant]

Same as last season: kick the ball away- hand possession back; lose our lineout- lose possession and Ben Kay and Oz keep pointing out on commentary how to improve but Matt O’Connor continues to coach in a way that makes very good players look very poor. Leinster realised what he was like and moved him on. Sorry, but if Cockerill went, O’Connor has to go. Forget about saying Exeter don’t lose at Sandy Park - no excuse for not competing. Unless we get relegated the Board will not wake up until it’s too late. In 50 years of supporting Tigers the last 2 seasons there have too many games where we haven’t competed;no real passion and poor skills.
Forget plans for a hotel complex- get a coaching set up that has ambition and can get the pride back in the shirt.

[sapajo]

Bang on enough is enough MOC is out of his depth and we are disgracefully poor in every facet of the game. The board need to sack him quickly to remove the gangrene that has infected our beloved club!

[MikeR]

Utterly pathetic .

[westwinds31]

The over riding emotion at the moment is.....anger. Complete and utter rubbish. Rudderless. Clueless. International players made to look like average tosh. A couple of players put a shift in, probably hoping another club might come in for them. Let’s face it, the Barbarians look to have more of a game plan than us. Where do we go from here ? Fitness levels ?! Do me a favour, that’s your responsibility !

[moorsman1]

MOC has got to go. We have a team of players who should be winning these games.

[sam16111986]

The over riding emotion at the moment is.....anger. Complete and utter rubbish. Rudderless. Clueless. International players made to look like average tosh. A couple of players put a shift in, probably hoping another club might come in for them. Let’s face it, the Barbarians look to have more of a game plan than us. Where do we go from here ? Fitness levels ?! Do me a favour, that’s your responsibility !

Having watched back I think all the players out a shift in. That's the really worrying thing. The organisation is so poor that with all the quality players we have playing hard Exeter still easily picked us apart.

[Smudge]

I approached today with the usual first game optimism and was even prepared to see us not quite together but this was a shambles and totally unworthy of the supporters. First game or not.
Any reasonable supporter can accept a loss at a top club but we are the top club in the UK and to be stuffed so comprehensively is totally unacceptable.
It may be deemed unfair to call for MOC to be sacked this early but I will need a lot of convincing that we will improve to where we aspire to be, with him at the helm. I am upset and very angry.

[Tigerbeat]

Any reasonable supporter can accept a loss at a top club but we are the top club in the UK

We are a top club but not the top club at this moment in time.....in terms of support we are the top team.

[BFG]

MOC has got to go. We have a team of players who should be winning these games.

I think you overestimate the quality at his disposal.
The half backs were timid today and that is not an unusual thing, Manu didn't look quick enough in my opinion, and Veainu didn't attack from deep with quite the same confidence, something that is noticeable since injury.
Up front I thought they matched Exeter well at set piece, but unfortunately lack a Mulipola to save Cole's legs and the line out woes continue, something that has done for coach after coach.
When you have to work so hard for possession then it canno't be given back to a side like Exeter so easily!

[sam16111986]

MOC has got to go. We have a team of players who should be winning these games.

I think you overestimate the quality at his disposal.
The half backs were timid today and that is not an unusual thing, Manu didn't look quick enough in my opinion, and Veainu didn't attack from deep with quite the same confidence, something that is noticeable since injury.
Up front I thought they matched Exeter well at set piece, but unfortunately lack a Mulipola to save Cole's legs and the line out woes continue, something that has done for coach after coach.
When you have to work so hard for possession then it canno't be given back to a side like Exeter so easily!

I don't think the halfbacks looked timid, I think they looked frustrated. They've had all the decision making taken from them and left with a badly written script where there's little ability to adapt.

Start of the second half and Ford actually looked dangerous for 10 minutes when allowed to run it. Get the forwards running off his shoulder and let him run the show. It's what he does best. It's also about the only time he's really effective.

[BFG]

MOC has got to go. We have a team of players who should be winning these games.

I think you overestimate the quality at his disposal.
The half backs were timid today and that is not an unusual thing, Manu didn't look quick enough in my opinion, and Veainu didn't attack from deep with quite the same confidence, something that is noticeable since injury.
Up front I thought they matched Exeter well at set piece, but unfortunately lack a Mulipola to save Cole's legs and the line out woes continue, something that has done for coach after coach.
When you have to work so hard for possession then it canno't be given back to a side like Exeter so easily!

I don't think the halfbacks looked timid, I think they looked frustrated. They've had all the decision making taken from them and left with a badly written script where there's little ability to adapt.

Start of the second half and Ford actually looked dangerous for 10 minutes when allowed to run it. Get the forwards running off his shoulder and let him run the show. It's what he does best. It's also about the only time he's really effective.

If forwards are running off the 10's outside shoulder then something is wrong with the pace being offered, but ultimately you are asking the impossible of the forwards if the 9 constantly wants the ball on a platter and is not prepared to put his head in occasionally.
A gameplan relies on trust and is limited by a lack of it, don't you think the forwards know that they are in demand to provide the ball on a platter and failure to do so results in turnovers.
It's very difficult to develop and expand a gameplan with players so limited to their specific roles.
It all begins with the half backs playing for the team and not the team playing for the half backs!

[sam16111986]

I think you overestimate the quality at his disposal.
The half backs were timid today and that is not an unusual thing, Manu didn't look quick enough in my opinion, and Veainu didn't attack from deep with quite the same confidence, something that is noticeable since injury.
Up front I thought they matched Exeter well at set piece, but unfortunately lack a Mulipola to save Cole's legs and the line out woes continue, something that has done for coach after coach.
When you have to work so hard for possession then it canno't be given back to a side like Exeter so easily!

I don't think the halfbacks looked timid, I think they looked frustrated. They've had all the decision making taken from them and left with a badly written script where there's little ability to adapt.

Start of the second half and Ford actually looked dangerous for 10 minutes when allowed to run it. Get the forwards running off his shoulder and let him run the show. It's what he does best. It's also about the only time he's really effective.

If forwards are running off the 10's outside shoulder then something is wrong with the pace being offered, but ultimately you are asking the impossible of the forwards if the 9 constantly wants the ball on a platter and is not prepared to put his head in occasionally.
A gameplan relies on trust and is limited by a lack of it, don't you think the forwards know that they are in demand to provide the ball on a platter and failure to do so results in turnovers.
It's very difficult to develop and expand a gameplan with players so limited to their specific roles.
It all begins with the half backs playing for the team and not the team playing for the half backs!

You don't need the ball on the platter if the 10 has options and the abilities of Ford. He can pass late so with options it becomes nigh impossible to blitz the flyhalf because he can isolate defenders. See the game Vs Sale at the end of last season. What you should find is that the opposition stop stacking players into the breakdown because they are worried about what the flyhalf is doing and want the bodies on their feet to close the gaps.

At the minute Ford has few options so it's easy to pressure him. Slow the ball down and you can shut off the outside easily and stop Ben Youngs being able to pick and pass. Shuts off most of our options and makes it so that one of our players has to run through a brick wall in order for us to get any momentum. That's hard and energy sapping.

MOC doesn't like the idea of empowering the half backs because that means he isn't in control. He likes control, you can tell by the painfully scripted style of play we have.

[FrontRowUnionMember]

If you were to make a composite side of the two starting teams, I fail to see how Tigers would not be very well represented, which to me suggest the quality is there, but quite frankly they are underperforming, be that players motivation/application, or team direction, that is what needs to be ascertained and then acted upon.
Being honest, from the moment O'Connor was announced after the 'worldwide' search, I was never convinced. So I'm going with coaching flaws being the weakness, the players are there but the team is playing without any cohesiveness or dynamic gameplay. So turgid it's painful to watch.
Being truthful, I didn't get chance to watch the second half of today, other commitments meant I had to go out, but in the first half I saw little direction. Also, the decision to use the bench so sparingly shows a lack of faith, why bring them in then? Our bench should be used earlier for maximum impact.

Ultimately could a better coach extract more from this group of players????

[WhitecapTiger]

Also, the decision to use the bench so sparingly shows a lack of faith, why bring them in then? Our bench should be used earlier for maximum impact.

Something that Cockers got absolutely slated for.

Dan Cole subbed at 78 minutes, what's that all about - if front line forwards had to be wrapped in cotton wool in pre-season (MOC's words) then why was DC flogged in what became a lost cause?

Olowofela on the bench, the only unused sub - absolutely pointless from a position of looking in from the outside. Giving him 10 minutes (minimum) off the bench could not have demoralised him any more than leaving him getting splinters.

Eastmond not used until late, when our starting centre pairing hadn't exactly lit up the pitch.

I have tried to avoid resorting to the MOC bashing but, as Cockers always used to say, the buck stops with the man in charge and the current one doesn't look up to this job.

A big, and I mean big in terms of points scored and convincing in the manner of it, win against the Falcons next week is all that will satisfy after today, followed by evidence of improvement and consistency.

I can't see any of that happening right now, the best I can envisage is us sneaking a home win at best and be back to excuses the following week. Whatever their result against Sarries tomorrow the Falcons will be well up for their trip to WR and will look back to the end of last season for their inspiration and evidence they can achieve it.

[BFG]

You don't need the ball on the platter if the 10 has options and the abilities of Ford. He can pass late so with options it becomes nigh impossible to blitz the flyhalf because he can isolate defenders. See the game Vs Sale at the end of last season. What you should find is that the opposition stop stacking players into the breakdown because they are worried about what the flyhalf is doing and want the bodies on their feet to close the gaps.

At the minute Ford has few options so it's easy to pressure him. Slow the ball down and you can shut off the outside easily and stop Ben Youngs being able to pick and pass. Shuts off most of our options and makes it so that one of our players has to run through a brick wall in order for us to get any momentum. That's hard and energy sapping.

MOC doesn't like the idea of empowering the half backs because that means he isn't in control. He likes control, you can tell by the painfully scripted style of play we have.

Sorry but that’s total tosh!
It’s a contradiction to want to empower the half backs and yet at the same time expect everyone else to do it for them.

In terms of decision making who exactly is empowered in that scenario?
Nobody in my opinion, but just a confused state of leadership!

The half backs are the creative decision makers, they set the plays, it’s not up to others to do everything for them which is the situation currently, but to do everything off them.
What you have are two half backs who would rather someone else get in behind the defence, that’s not a completely healthy attitude to be playing with in my opinion!