posted Jan 13, 2009

I dont think the ECC is all they have won, they are league winners, i still attach kudos to that. The Prem title is a cup competition and is not a true show of the best team.

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posted Jan 13, 2009

oh dear...

you'll pay for that...don't reignite the gloucester fans are bad losers thread!

anyway...

DR shouldn't go yet. If a coach is sacked for not getting trophies it establishes completely the wrong ethos for a team. How many grandslams did england choke on under Clive Woodward before winning in 2003?

End of the season, maybe consider options, but half way through? stupid.

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posted Jan 13, 2009

I think Gloucester have been undone since they started buying in big names - Vainikolo is stuggling, Tindall is not the player he was, Barkley is a shadow of his former self at Bath, Balshaw....well, he's Balshaw.
As a result of all this, Lamb's form has been on the slide over the last couple of seasons.
Shame, because even as a bath fan I used to enjoy watching a back line of Lamb, Allen, Adams, S-D, Bailey etc etc....

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posted Jan 13, 2009

Good point there; I do miss seeing Adams and Bailey play. Looking a bit silly letting Bailey go now due to shortage of cover on the wings... although there are the academy guys coming through, but they need to prove themselves.

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posted Jan 13, 2009

academy players may be coming through but will they end up as also rans

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posted Jan 14, 2009

"The team has definitely improved since the end of Melville's reign, and Ryan has masterminded that transformation"

Masterminded?

The standard of rugby has improved but given the investment, I would expect nothing less.

I'm talking about the background stuff that goes on and in particular, the mental toughness of the players.

I think (and this is just opinion) that they struggle under pressure and in the bigger games.

For me, that's where DR and his team fail to improve the players and since DR is ultimately responsible should go.

Timing wise? I would say at the end of the season would be the optimum time.

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posted Jan 14, 2009

He has done a good job, but surely at some time Gloucester fans must ask why they can't win anything. Unfortunately, regardless of the quality of the squad, it is obvious he can't take them the final step.

In sport winning is all that matters and those passionate supporters probably deserve better results.

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posted Jan 14, 2009

comments related to how much more gloucester should be winning are interesting...do you mean % wins, or trophies?

Gloucester have finished Top of the prem for how many seasons? surely that is proof that Glaws are winning games?

The case that matters (that some have made) is the big game mentality...and to be fair...we've no idea if any coach in Europe has instilled that in his players...save for the coaches of Wasps and Munster (on last season's evidence).

This must however be Dean Ryan's main concern in terms of room for improvement. As has been said, the end of season is the time to evaluate where he is as a coach...

...at least he gets Gloucester to a position where they have the chance to prove themselves (or not as the case may be) in big game environments.

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posted Jan 15, 2009

i did a thread on this at the start of the season and my opinion is that he should have left at the end of last season.

he makes the same mistakes week after week. and his recruitment policy is shocking.

how long have we needed a decent 2nd row and hooker???

Vainokolo????????

i actually think he has done a decent job he did bring in Qera(on dennis betts advice) and he has definitely progressed us.

however i think he has taken us as far as he can and that he lacks the coaching ability to take us further.

i would say thanks DR but time to go at the end of the season.

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posted Jan 16, 2009

Recruitment has been... interesting. I never quite got my head around the Karl Pryce signing. I understand he broke a bone in his foot which effectively ended his season but Gloucester seemed pretty quick to offload him (no pun intended) to Wigan.

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