Freddie Burns coming back to Tigers?

[Scott1]

As much as anything, I don’t want any suggestion of it being true, but I simply can’t see that Ford is going anywhere.

Unless his Dad is off and he spits his dummy out!

To be fair, most people thought that Ford Senior was treated like dirt by Bruce Craig in sacking him when he did. It's not like Bath have been successful since.

Most people wouldn't hang around if a family member was treated that way by the company they worked for.

Most people I've heard from said they were toxic there but who knows ay?

[RagingBull]

Like a lot of things it’s from whose perspective.
The fords are not angels.
But neither were Craig and Gold at the time.

[wellstiger]

No shoeing at ruck time - No oversized jersey - No mid pitch punch ups - Now you want me on the wing near medical teams and toilets. I can still pull my own socks and tie my own boot laces. But I think I'll retire and save the blushes.
How do I tell Pat Lam.?
As for Angels - Robbie Williams ( but I'm not planning on seeing them just yet)

[jgriffin]

The toxic thing about Fords is a line pushed by some supporters and some on here. Cards were marked long before people got pushed with a dressing room still inhabited by some of the party boys and with a lot of people in Craigs ear. Was told that by a former player. I certainly don't think either Ford has been lacking for us in all honesty.

[Traveller]

Perception counts. I think George Ford is a wonderful player and has proven himself to be completely committed to Tigers. I have no greater insight into what happened at Bath other than what the press and forums have said. At a time when Tigers were in turmoil, I think it was unhelpful that Joe Ford (who was completely out of his depth) appeared to arrive as part of a job lot, soon to be followed by father who was according to Murphy at one moment "just a friend who I meet for coffee", then "I don't know if there would be a role for Mike I don't know what that role would be", then MF is joining on a consultancy basis to steer us through the last few games and to give JM support, then...................... It gave the impression that Tigers was becoming some mates refuge, rather than an elite sporting environment dedicated to high performance.

At the time it seemed to me to play into the narrative of what had gone before at Bath, and most importantly I think it was unhelpful for the Fords. However that was the past. SB clearly rates Mike Ford which is what matters, and. George is an admirable young man and most importantly a top class player who actually wants to play for Tigers. Onwards with humility and patience.

[DingDong]

I regularly saw Mike Ford watching his sons play (like any good dad) when waiting for his contract in America to be fulfilled. He sat near to us and I always thought what a waste, we're leaking tries and brilliant ex England defence coach sitting in the stands not coaching. Not so much a 'mates refuge' as Traveller states, more a case of an opportunity to use whats available. Mike Ford is an asset to Tigers.

[sam16111986]

I regularly saw Mike Ford watching his sons play (like any good dad) when waiting for his contract in America to be fulfilled. He sat near to us and I always thought what a waste, we're leaking tries and brilliant ex England defence coach sitting in the stands not coaching. Not so much a 'mates refuge' as Traveller states, more a case of an opportunity to use whats available. Mike Ford is an asset to Tigers.

Whilst there has been concerns over our coaching structure being a bit of an old boy's network I don't think hiring a former international and Lions assistant coach to work with a young coaching team in that. Ford never got things going on attack but since moving to defence which is more his speciality he's done much better. Shame though as he had some good attacking ideas whilst at Bath.

Bath didn't treat him very well. He stuck his neck out for Burgess and that back fired badly and left him with an unhappy dressing room. Hooper then club captain and now DOR seemed to be the one most annoyed by the Burgess thing and the one with Craig's ear. George was accused of spitting his sunny out by the Bath fans but after your captain forces your dad out of his job how cheerful are you going to be?

[Traveller]

I regularly saw Mike Ford watching his sons play (like any good dad) when waiting for his contract in America to be fulfilled. He sat near to us and I always thought what a waste, we're leaking tries and brilliant ex England defence coach sitting in the stands not coaching. Not so much a 'mates refuge' as Traveller states, more a case of an opportunity to use whats available. Mike Ford is an asset to Tigers.

For clarities sake - I think Mike Ford is an asset to Tigers. The point I was trying to make was that with all that was going on at the club at the time, and with Joe joining, and then GM saying there wasn't really a role for MF, and then, there was a bit of a role, and then he was staying on, and then he was attack coach - it fed the narrative about the Fords, which was unhelpful - most of all to them.

It is difficult to argue a highly successful ex England & Lions defence coach not having something to contribute to a team that is leaking tries. However once again - I think he is a great asset to the club.

[Dangerous4]

This topic is wandering off line. It's supposed to be about Freddie Burns.

Iwould be happy to see him back.

[Scott1]

Me too! Think he was treated very poorly

[Tiglon]

This topic is wandering off line. It's supposed to be about Freddie Burns.

Iwould be happy to see him back.

If it goes on long enough, every thread eventually reaches a point where discussion turns to one of three things:

1) Are the Fords toxic?
2) Should we have kept Harry Thacker?
3) Are Saracens bad people?

[DingDong]

This topic is wandering off line. It's supposed to be about Freddie Burns.

Iwould be happy to see him back.

Wellstiger? me too!

[Traveller]

This topic is wandering off line. It's supposed to be about Freddie Burns.

Iwould be happy to see him back.

Wellstiger? me too!

I'd have Freddie B back - would see a couple go - but a combinations of Ford / Burns and either Henry or Bonilla would be great playing behind a pack of Genge / Montoya / Cole / Lavanini / Martin / Leibenberg / Wiese / Van Staden (with lots of hungry others) - that would be some change to the one he tried to work with last time.

As my close friend Tiglon said earlier in the trail - we just don't have an outstanding young 10 at present to cherish and nurture - but we have lots of other exciting academy youngsters to support - so I'm not too worried about that - In JVP we do have a huge talent at 9 to watch and cheer on.

[BFG]

When the season starts again with no relegation then just make happen what should've been happening for the past five years and give George Worth a proper go at fly half.

[mol2]

We need a quality 10 to back up Ford. Burns is a quality 10. Deserved his England caps however those days have passed.

Lost to us in the deal that saw George Ford return, although the story at the time was he did not want to leave. Clearly he didn't flourish at Bath, however I'm not sure Bath are the wonder side the press would have us believe. Not sure I would be happy to be horse traded either. Finding oneself out of favour in the present climate probably left few options for a significant income that Japan, however that's not an easy society for someone to assimilate into, particularly in these covid times and like many of us he may wish to be closer to his family.