Ackford's Article may be closest to truth so far

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DCATsOLDMAN
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Ackford's Article may be closest to truth so far

Post by DCATsOLDMAN »

Sunday Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.j ... ckf308.xml

Seems both plausible and, if true, understandable, why Marcelo had to go.

I can also understand why it would be difficult for the club to issue a statement saying ML's methods were old fashioned etc., given that everybody seems to accept that he is a gentleman and a good bloke.

But I still find it sad, even distasteful, that it has come out via a newspaper and especially through Ackford who never struck me as the most sympathetic pundit to Tigers.

Again it begs the question why ML was not sussed BEFORE the appointment was made.

So, is this the REAL story, or are there more revelations to come????

Dave
Phil B
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Post by Phil B »

It's like hiring a Finance Director who you find, subsequently, cannot formulate a spreadsheet. Ooooops!!
JP
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Post by JP »

This a very sad situation, that this information had to come out via a newpaper. I agree that it might have been difficult for the board to give very definate reasons for ML release but they should have at least fronted up. It will b very interesting to see who they bring in now. Following this episode I dont think JW would want the job, even if the board were incline to go after another foreign coach which i cant see ever happening again following ML and BD.
I think we should all be prepared for a Gibson/Cockers/Back coaching team, and hope that a good preseason and players desire to play for England/Lions gives us a good start to the season and confidence to progress.
simon redshaw
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Post by simon redshaw »

This sounds like a stitch up to me, ie Gibson and Cockers etc because the board can't entice anyone else and arebn't likely to.

To be fair to Gibbo, what experience has he got, and I stand corrected if proven otherwise, what experience has he got as a coach, let alone to be Head Coach. Talking about throwing somebody in at the deep end.

But then this board doesn't seem to make great decisions. And it seems ML wasn't supported by many players almost from day 1. I wonder if those same players will have the courage now to come out and say they were against him and were a part in his dismissal? Doubt it.

Strange, his methods are 20 years out of date, but he got Argentina to last 4 in World Cup. :smt017 :smt017 Or was that through someone else? His problem was communication and people behind him, not coaching difficulties, and taking time to adapt to coaching a club.
NorthantsTiger
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Post by NorthantsTiger »

Yeah does smack a bit of the old boy network. :smt011
"In Arduis Fidelius"
Yelphere
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Post by Yelphere »

If Paul Ackford's article is correct - or even has a grain of truth as to why ML was sacked, it shows a level of unbeleivable incompetence for people running a multi-million pound, high profile business. For all the talk about having done the homework on finding the right person to lead Tigers (it took long enough!)- seems to be total tosh. If this is correct - Tigers have made the right decision now - but my complete sympathies lie with ML and his family.

Two interesting points from Ackford's article:
1. supposed outdated caoching techniques - would be interested to know what these were
2. ML's inability to motivate the players at the dressing room talk due to "colloquial" language diffilculties - that cannot possibly explain some appalling performances this season from the players in high profile games.

I sense some "smoke and mirrors" being used by people.
simon redshaw
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Post by simon redshaw »

It sounds like some people, not least of all some of the players. are using that as a smokescreen to hide their own failings.
madoqua
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Post by madoqua »

I'll just reiterate what I posted some weeks ago.

Seems to me the changes should be at gin-swiller level.
G.K
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Post by G.K »

If there is any truth in this then the disaster just gets bigger. Can't see anyway at all that ML could have gone from being a good coach to a bad one in the space of 3 months so it seems that it was his technique/style that were not working at Tigers.

Fault still lies clearly with the Board here as they obviously did not do their homework before appointing him, which is all the more surprising given the Les Cusworth involvement and the fact that we already had 2 Argentine internationals in the squad.

Also I still suspect that certain other coaches and some of the players were against him from the start, as an outsider, and so either did not support him or co-operate fully. Again the Board should have sorted this out from the beginning.

As for Daryl being the Head Coach. Well for me that is a huge gamble as he has no real experience in such a position. The gamble worked with Pat Howard (in the second season) but I have a feeling it may not do so again.
Nowadays referees decide matches, players by how much.
terrier92
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Post by terrier92 »

what the hell is wrong with cockerill and back??

the simple fact is that leicester had the players to win all three competitions this year. back and cockerill, as proved last year, can lead to success, so presumably they are not to blame for this season. people say they undermined loffreda. where is the concrete proof? loffreda was uninspirational and old fashioned. argentina, lets face it, is hardly at the cutting edge of rugby. leicester needs to be. loffreda dealt with a massively talented argentina side and gave them a simple game plan, which they had been playing for years and was successful. this did not require a huge amount of coaching genius. he is a manager, not a coach.
nice bloke as he may be, he does not have the experience for the premiership.

my coaching team

back - defence
cockerill - pack
gibson - backs
white - dirctor of rugby.
bring on the treble!!!
Capricorn
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Post by Capricorn »

Loffreda...Outdated coaching techniques?
What, like being able to catch a ball, offload, and communicate with the player next to you ?
Loffreda was coaching young talented footballers with sharp brains in Argentina: here he gets landed with a sprinkling of talent and mostly has -been carthorses!
Can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
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Post by Snorbins »

Lack of English, local coloqualism and the inability to say "me duck" with a passion was always going to be a problem. If you cannot go into a pressure pot as a manager / head concho and throw some f's in as necessary you should not be in that position.
rufcut
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Post by rufcut »

And if language was a problem(smokescreen?) you don't act like a bunch of 15 year olds, laughing, squirming etc, you get an interpreter(I know of a dual nationality, Spanish/English who offered themselves for work in the bars last year for example).

Surely the ideas are more important(the England football manager's English is a lot worse than ML's-they got an interpreter) but I suppose it's easier to drag someone, and his family, half way round the world then sack him before the paint's dry on his house!

Good luck Marcelo-the best thing you can do is get another job and win the Heineken cup whilst Tigers struggle to get out of the pool stages(which didn't happen just this season remember?). I'll be supporting you wherever you are and whoever you're playing against-yes that includes... :smt019 :smt022
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Post by drc_007 »

Whilst it may be the correct decision to part company with ML I'm not sure that having a "Leicester Insider" gossiping to the press reflects well on the club. I hope they find out who it is and dismiss them.
G.K
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Post by G.K »

Well if the squad need some god old anglo saxon expletives to get them motivated for the game then maybe we should get that idiot ex-footballer cum chef - what's his name Ramsey? as head coach. Failing that then Scott Johnson, as an Aussie, is probably the best qualified of the known contenders.
Nowadays referees decide matches, players by how much.
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