Relegation / How to avoid Relegation?

[Mark62]

As to the header,I don't think we can sadly. The stars just look aligned for me I'm afraid and nothings going our way. Bath will be very interesting ,I wonder If the board will have the balls to turn up if the worse happens? They should be paraded around the pitch at the whistle!

The Board do seem very detached from the situation.
At the Bath home games you see Craig and Dyson living every moment of the game, same with Wray at Saracens, and the Exeter Guy, sorry can’t remember his name, is always down in the dugout at the final whistle.

I remember reading once that Peter Tom can ce back home in Jersey 90 minutes after the final whistle. Sort of says it all really

Things like this are looked at too much. If we were winning games and titles, Peter Tom being home 90 minutes after a match wouldn't even be mentioned.

This makes no difference to how we play and perform does it?!

No it doesn’t. But the ship is heading for an ice berg, it would be nice to see the captain on the deck before the band starts playing rather than heading for his personal life boat

[ellis9]

The Board do seem very detached from the situation.
At the Bath home games you see Craig and Dyson living every moment of the game, same with Wray at Saracens, and the Exeter Guy, sorry can’t remember his name, is always down in the dugout at the final whistle.

I remember reading once that Peter Tom can ce back home in Jersey 90 minutes after the final whistle. Sort of says it all really

Things like this are looked at too much. If we were winning games and titles, Peter Tom being home 90 minutes after a match wouldn't even be mentioned.

This makes no difference to how we play and perform does it?!

No it doesn’t. But the ship is heading for an ice berg, it would be nice to see the captain on the deck before the band starts playing rather than heading for his personal life boat

I have no problem with him, you know, going home.

[Mark62]

Things like this are looked at too much. If we were winning games and titles, Peter Tom being home 90 minutes after a match wouldn't even be mentioned.

This makes no difference to how we play and perform does it?!

No it doesn’t. But the ship is heading for an ice berg, it would be nice to see the captain on the deck before the band starts playing rather than heading for his personal life boat

I have no problem with him, you know, going home.

And that’s fine. It just strikes me that the blame for a lot of the current situation is being laid at the Boards door, yet the Chairman of the board chooses to spend as little time as possible on the ground at match day. Just my feeling

[ellis9]

No it doesn’t. But the ship is heading for an ice berg, it would be nice to see the captain on the deck before the band starts playing rather than heading for his personal life boat

I have no problem with him, you know, going home.

And that’s fine. It just strikes me that the blame for a lot of the current situation is being laid at the Boards door, yet the Chairman of the board chooses to spend as little time as possible on the ground at match day. Just my feeling

Well match day is match day. I doubt any of the board actually work on a match day. Monday to Friday will be their working week. Saturday is more about watching the team and entertaining sponsors etc.

[strawclearer]

No it doesn’t. But the ship is heading for an ice berg, it would be nice to see the captain on the deck before the band starts playing rather than heading for his personal life boat

I have no problem with him, you know, going home.

And that’s fine. It just strikes me that the blame for a lot of the current situation is being laid at the Boards door, yet the Chairman of the board chooses to spend as little time as possible on the ground at match day. Just my feeling

I guess what matters in any Club - to the fans but chiefly to the players - is the 'commitment to the cause' as evidenced by the owner / Chairman / BoD. It was pretty obvious how the City players gained inspiration from the late Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. Is the same true at Welford Road?

[BFG]

How to avoid relegation?
Accept the teams limitations and play a style suited.
Like many teams struggling Leicester don't particularly know what their playing identity is in my opinion.
Leicester are a big heavy pack and not suited to endlessly running around, they scrummage and can carry the ball well enough when energy reserves are not wasted by things such as poor kicking to the opposition back three.
I thought Paul Hill was excellent for Saints on Friday and stumped one of Leicester's big strengths, the scrum.
I believe Murphy knows all this but has been hampered in the ability to carry out an tight enough gameplan by injuries to players like Bateman and Thompstone and lengthy bans to players like Kalamafoni don't help.
The young players are far too loose and lack awareness in their play but Murphy has had few options.
I would play Joe Ford at full back for the remainder of the season, he knows how to play in a scrap and how and when to carry out tactics best suited to the Leicester pack currently.
Leicester also need some scrambling and finishing pace on the opposite wing to May, hopefully Toomua isn't injuried after Friday in which case I'd probably ask someone like Eastmond to try and rescue the situation on that wing.
Leicester's defence from that wing and full back combined was of a shocking standard for two of Saints tries on Friday.

Not much to argue with there. I'd say the principal coaching points are consistency in defence (most of the time it's working, then goes awol. Kicking to the back three isn't such a problem if you can trust your defensive system. Trouble is the players don't look as though they do!) and prioritising the game prep & planning for Newcastle and Bristol. The Exeter game looks a lost cause unless something really clicks together in training over the next week or two. Still, the England contingent will be properly reintegrated by then. Crazy to think we can have five players in the England squad (including 9, second-choice 10 and 13) but be in the situation we are in.

The way the XV play is affected by the ability of the 23 to contribute for a big pack like Leicester's.
They are almost having to play with 80 minutes in mind in my opinion.
Leicester are missing Bateman, and are also badly missing Mulipola and Slater, two big recruitment mistakes.
They also should've paid the money and kept one of McGuigan or Thacker.
Leicester aren't as far off as some folk make out.
Likewise I suspect that Veainu possibly would've had a better chance of chasing down that first Saints try on Friday and would've trusted Thompstone to handle that big Saints winger with a rib tickler for the third try.

[Mark62]

I have no problem with him, you know, going home.

And that’s fine. It just strikes me that the blame for a lot of the current situation is being laid at the Boards door, yet the Chairman of the board chooses to spend as little time as possible on the ground at match day. Just my feeling

I guess what matters in any Club - to the fans but chiefly to the players - is the 'commitment to the cause' as evidenced by the owner / Chairman / BoD. It was pretty obvious how the City players gained inspiration from the late Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. Is the same true at Welford Road?

You’ve put the point I’m trying to make much better than me Strawclearer. Thank you

Ellis 9 if you are an official of a club the size of Leicester it is a 24/7 job.
Maybe slightly different I know but an acquaintance of mine recently spent a couple of hours with Geordan and his wife on Geordans day off. His phone literally didn’t stop ringing

[ellis9]

And that’s fine. It just strikes me that the blame for a lot of the current situation is being laid at the Boards door, yet the Chairman of the board chooses to spend as little time as possible on the ground at match day. Just my feeling

I guess what matters in any Club - to the fans but chiefly to the players - is the 'commitment to the cause' as evidenced by the owner / Chairman / BoD. It was pretty obvious how the City players gained inspiration from the late Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. Is the same true at Welford Road?

You’ve put the point I’m trying to make much better than me Strawclearer. Thank you

Ellis 9 if you are an official of a club the size of Leicester it is a 24/7 job.
Maybe slightly different I know but an acquaintance of mine recently spent a couple of hours with Geordan and his wife on Geordans day off. His phone literally didn’t stop ringing

Yes I know but they don't need to be at Welford Road or Oval Park 24/7 do they?!

[Dangerous4]

I just cannot see where a win will come from. Even with five England internationals back, we are still dire.

There appears to be no heart within our club anymore. I will leave the rest unsaid.

[PGD]

I think we'll avoid relegation. Dear lord, did I ever think I'd say that about Tigers?

But if we don't, I worry that will only be the start of the club's problems. What bothers me is the effect of the - perceived - arrogance in the BoD & the attitude, albeit subliminal, through the club as a whole: WE ARE LEICESTER! - the trophy cupboard & memories of fortress Welford Rd.

I fear that if we do go down that it'll be taken for granted that we'll win the Championship with ease & be promoted on the bounce. That attitude could be a great tripwire for us. It wouldn't surprise me if a number of Championship teams are licking their lips at the thought of coming to Welford Rd & putting one over the Tigers. Look at Worcester; they must regard playing Tigers as 4pts in the bag (maybe 5).

Two seasons out of the Premiership? I remember living in Moseley, late 70s & going the The Reddings to watch a first class team play. The Reddings is now a housing estate & the club are... a shadow of what they were.

Could this await Leicester? Yes. Hotels & stadia are commodities to be sold & rebuilt at will. I worry that the board aren't worried enough at how dark the future could be. I might be wrong. I hope so.

[markharbtiger]

Worrying article in Mail on Sunday
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugby ... tches.html

[Scott1]

Spot on! Ignorant,arrogant clueless board living on past glories imo with a "we are Leicester we will be alright" attitude. We don't have any God given right to be at the top,it has to be earned! Would i take relegation if this board was then dismantled and we rebuilt? Absolutely! But relegation could just be the start of it. The thing that gets me is I'm a working class grafter with zero experience at boardroom level so how come I (and many others) could see this coming a mile off while others couldn't or if they did at least arrest the slide,its farcical if I'm honest!

[Scuttle]

Interesting article outlining Rob Baxter's style. Hands responsibility to the players to decide what they want from a match or a series of matches.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47692050

[ellis9]

Interesting article outlining Rob Baxter's style. Hands responsibility to the players to decide what they want from a match or a series of matches.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47692050

People on here would say there's too much player power if Murphy said something like this.

[wellstiger]

As In have said in the past.
Other teams (Exeter) have adopted the Tigers ( of old) ethos. It works well for them.
We have attempted since RC to evolve a new style of play - as we did not want to remain the same old Tigers. 3-4 coaches on,
Well we now have the new style of play..........Kick, plod and miss tackles. Lose more than win.
I know which style I prefer. Sorry forgot - we are still evolving which will take 2-3 seasons. - Silly me