Whats going wrong

[sapajo]

When is Owen Williams expected back?

Not anytime soon.

[Pellsey]

When is Owen Williams expected back?

Not anytime soon.

Thanks...

Bryant starting next week?!!

[Pellsey]

I really hope we get things sorted soon...

[trendylfj]

After tonight's performance, several things have become very clear to me. Based on the last 3 games it is my opinion but only my opinion though!

1. Pearce is ahead of Crane
2. The Tait/Smith combination doesn't work in the centre.
3. Clubs have begun to work out Veainu.
4. Camancho needs to do a lot of work on his tackling (as do several others)
5. We need another openside rather than a makeshift one.
6. More grunt in needed - no effective rolling maul or scrum again.
7. We are shipping far too many turnovers and penalties to win games.
8/9/10 SLATER SLATER SLATER.

[RagingBull]

Owen was water boy today so is improving.

Prob in the next 3 weeks.

[jgriffin]

We are doing what Wasps, Stains and Quinds have done - got into a duff patch. Our No1 team and the game played is excellent but we haven't got the personnel currently. Losing Pearce will be a sodding big mistake IMO, he has the dynamism to go with Loc, BOC, Mike Williams etc.

We could turn out a much better team very soon, hopefully not too late for the AP. I'm just glad I missed the last two games (well saw the first half tonight ) so not too doom-monger tonight.

[Hot_Charlie]

I'd suggest our most effective centre partnerships this season have seen Betham at 13. It's certainly been him in that shirt when we've had the most destructive back line, not only with his running in space but also his deceptive strength in contact. Tait seems to be trying to force stuff.

Also a mention for young Mr Roberts - last week we didn't give him the ball after he came on. At least tonight we saw a bit of him with ball in hand.

[rcooper]

Sam Harrison did one too many poor box kicks and Newcastle took advantage, the defensive line was all over the place in the first half, gave away to many cheap penaltys, the ref was poor but the better team on the night won imo, our forwards looked very tired in general and turned into wingers in the latter stages. On a positive Tom Croft looks like he is getting back to some sort of form, he put himself about.

[Spicer]

I know we are missing people but it was hardly a weak team. I would say 7 of that team have been guaranteed starters this season. We are just awful currently.
I would hoestly rather have Goode than Burns at the moment. When Freddie plays he seems to have no control over the game and everything seems chaotic. In contrast to Goode, and Newcastles back-line, they all seemed to know what was going on and what was going to happen. Although there seemed a lack of leadership across the park for some reason which I don't understand.
On today's performance I would say Pearce, Roberts and Thacker have earned the right to start. I would also seriously think about doing something about the halfbacks as something isn't right. Kitto and Byrant?

[Ian Cant]

Since Christmas the writing has been on the wall. It pains me to say it but compared to the top teams Tigers' squad has no depth. No one can help getting injured but we have no decent cover.

Forwards need better coaching as ours currently have no grunt and nouse! Last year, performances weren't great but the passion was. The whole club, on and off the field needs to get together and seriously ask who wants to be part of it. I want my Tigers back-a team full of passion. Look no further than Andy Goode. Wherever he goes he puts the work in and plays flat and uses his brain. NO MORE EXCUSES TIGERS. Lose next week and this will be one of the worst sequence of results for a long time.

[The Boy Dave]

On today's performance I would say Pearce, Roberts and Thacker have earned the right to start. I would also seriously think about doing something about the halfbacks as something isn't right. Kitto and Byrant?

So it made no difference that those above came on when Falcons were tiring and looking to slow the game and run the clock down?
I thought McGuigan made Thacker look the limited hooker he is when he came on, the scrum looked like a rugby league restart at one stage and the maul was pathetic but then it will be!
When Falcons made their changes they gained control back of the match after a spell under pressure mid-way through the second half when Goodey and their starting front row were obviously blowing and kept going missing, this helped make certain players look better than they actually are, Falcons settled back down after their changes and finished in total control, Falcons won the first and second half.

[cpwhelan]

Surely, man for man, we had the better team on paper. Energy, desire, cohesion and leadership all seemed to be absent from us and hugely evident from Newcastle.
I agree that Messrs. Tait, Ghiraldini, Kitchener and Croft looked woefully off the pace.

[tigercaspian]

Having read most of the posts on last nights game, they all contain some truth.
Trendy's 10 pointer was probably most accurate because of its breadth but I think it is unfair to single out Camacho for poor tackling (he did get run over once)as I think the whole team lacks in the tackling department at the moment.
Secondly, much as I agree with the comments about leadership and that we need Slater back, why is it that we have to be SO dependant on Slater - is he our only leader, possibly outside of OTY ??
Thirdly, on several occasions last night players made breaks only to find they were isolated with no one to help them out, take that next pass and keep going forward: this would seem to be a continuation of the Sale game (sorry, didn't see but read the posts) in that players are not keeping up with the game but ambling about the place, as if they don't know what's going on, that no plans had been laid on the training ground.
Fourthly, don't let Garner detract from what Falcons did to us. Yes, he had several duff moments in my biased view but we got stuffed by a better team on the night so don't detract from the oppo - they won fair & square.
Fifth, in Goode, Falcons had a man whom controlled the game more expertly and thoroughly than I have seen from one player for some time. Clearly his Pukka Pies contract is doing him the world of good ! However, it was noticeable that we seemed to have no plan to focus on him or play him out of the game with the result that with Latu et al giving control up front, Goode was able to comfortably steer the ship home. He should have been flattened a couple of times but no one did.
Finally, and with just a little bit of happy clapping (!),with the exception of Sarries and just about Exeter, it's a much closer league this season. No one outside of these is performing with any consistency and so there is no reason why we shouldn't pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and get a top four finish again.
Keep the Faith indeed !

[G.K]

I posted after the Munster game at Welford Road that Tigers looked poor and were heading in the wrong direction. I got a lot of incoming about that but quite frankly the evidence is there now for all to see.

This is not a "Tigers" team this is a collection of mainly fairly average players who are wearing the Tigers shirt. Even the few class players we have (Ayerza, Croft, Tait) looked completely average last night.

I also smile at the notion that as soon as so and so is back (insert name here) we'll be all right. Sorry but missed tackles, aimless kicks, inability to maul, ambling around and lack of a coherent game plan won't be solved by Manu or JDV or even Ed.

Obviously lessons were not learnt after the Sale sharks game.

[RagingBull]

Disagree with that team being full of fairly average players (player average ATM) but they are not average players.