That's a good score, 81.

Cretylus, I'd suggest that the fact we had five changes forced on th team due to injury and then six once Yarran went down, shows mm can motivate and coach those players who replaced them (and by extension the rest of the team) pretty well. They were playing in positions and or roles not necessarily suited to them, but somehow found a way. Was that magic? I think not. MM has to have been an influence there somewhere...

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Cripps is the man

All six were forced. No Cripps this week, seniors or reserves.

We've played:

Port. Good team. Should've beat them but they were better.
Richmond. Crap team. Fail.
Essendon*. Crap team. Massive fail.
Melbourne. Woeful team. Incredible fail.
Footscray. Crap team. Pass
West Coast. Good team. Distinction.
Collingwood?

So even when we win grudging credit is all that can be afforded. Still, I suppose it is credit.

_________________
Whatever happened to this club
I wish I understood
We used to be so strong
We used to be so good

Distinction is hardly grudging credit.

Failing to beat very poor sides however...

Asking Cretylus to expand upon his typically obnoxious post is a waste of energy.

The best you'll get by way of explanation as to how Mick was out-coached but still managed to wrest a win will be some vague Greek proverb.

Out-coached, yes, certainly, with a team including Sam Rowe in a key defensive post and Levi Casboult rucking against the most dynamic combination in the league. And a side that had 5 changes from the one that played so cohesively and commendably last week. And a side that was robbed of Yarran with plenty of time still to play, who up until that point was providing a not insignificant amount of spark and run. And was 4 goals down with 9 minutes to go.

Yeah, he was definitely out-coached. Comprehensively so.

_________________
Whatever happened to this club
I wish I understood
We used to be so strong
We used to be so good

Watch the game if you can. Look at tactics and positional changes, rotations etc at critical moments when the blues opened up a handy lead. (1st and 2nd quarter). Look also at the structures immediately after half time.

Astonishing to watch. It was like our coaching box was working for the eagles.

In the end a roll of the dice by the players, some fresh legs and accurate kicking helped by atrocious kicking by the eagles, meant we got over the line...

I think MM would admit he got some things wrong today. Not so much at the start of the game, because I think we got the match ups and rotations right.

I think MM will be more focused this week against his old club

But for today, just the 7 out of 19 for MM.

_________________
Vice President, International Extreme Sarcasm Society (IESS)

You do understand how a coach can be poor on match day but still get the points?

Do you think the eagles deserved to win?

Our tackling kept us in the game.

We know poor kicking is poor football, but let's keep some perspective on how the match unfolded.

55 hit outs to 27 in favour of the eagles, would mean that they should win the clearances and stoppages but these areas clearly went to the blues. Centre breaks marginally went the eagles way.

I am glad to take the points. These sorts of wins can define a season and give lots of confidence to the playing group.

I am more pleased with their work rate, 1%ers and contested ball. These areas wer average in the first 4 games.

Last week 88 tackles just short of our club record of 90, and this week 72 tackles to 46 in our favour.

Do you think that the players have worked it out yet?

(I reckon MM coached his best game of the year against the tigers, and his worst was today, even poorer than the Essendon* thrashing)

_________________
Vice President, International Extreme Sarcasm Society (IESS)

It's all about the players. MM can't play the game for them or force them to at least get the basics of the game right every week.

You mention selection changes and injuries during the game.

Last week against the bulldogs we were gone in the last quarter. I remember thinking, if we can snatch a win from here, it will do wonders for the team. Reduced bench with Judd only lasting 3 minutes, and players cramping and wanting their 5 minute breather but couldn't go off. Bulldogs missed their shots, we had enough buffer and nailed a couple late in the term to win.

Do you know what MM said after the match in his press conference? "I don't know where that came from" (referring to the intensity and fighting win).

If MM didn't understand where that came from, he shouldn't be coaching.

_________________
Vice President, International Extreme Sarcasm Society (IESS)

If MM did understand where that came from and revealed it at a press conference, he shouldn't be coaching.

_________________
Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience!!!

After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says W T F .........
Visit http://fromthemoshpit.com/

Moshe (25)

Do you believe MM really does know where it came from but was lying ?

_________________
Vice President, International Extreme Sarcasm Society (IESS)

On the advice of counsel I invoke my fifth amendment right against self incrimination.

_________________
Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience!!!

After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says W T F .........
Visit http://fromthemoshpit.com/

Ok, one of the things MM does very well is he gets the most out of players that dare to believe.
I think we might be hitting the point where players dare to believe.
Not right now.. but i reckon if we knock of Collingwood... youll see something you havent seen in a Carlton side for many a year...
get over Collingwood and then we have StKilda.. and a few players coming back.. and i truly think you wont believe your eyes on what will happen to this team.
Thats how hes always been.
Belief is key.. we havent had it in a long long time. Mick understands that.
Its every bit aas important as any gameplan.. strategy and anything else .
Beat Collingwood.. front up to StKilda on the monday night and i think from that point on we take a turn... the players will take a turn.
Last 2 weeks the tackle count has been right up there.
Mistakes by opposition?
Well thats because of the pressure... you keep pressure up for a whole game.. and they think somethings happening even if its not.
Perception of pressure.

Everything else is secondary

_________________
Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

I wish we had MM 4 -5 years ago rather than Ratts, I think we could've been a genuine contender

The ''Judd years' will always be the Lost Years for me due to poor leadership at the top of the club and being a boys Club with jobs for mates

MM is the right man for us, we need someone who is ruthless and not worried about player's ego's

Bomba , i totally agree.
The Ratten years were a waste. We didnt develop meaningfully.
So much of what we did was wrong.
The players only won 4 in a row max. Youre not going to have meaningful improvement if the players are that meek and fragile.
Not many players went from C graders to B graders and from B to A graders.
Players and the team were a game of snakes and ladders.

Those were the years you needed to lay the foundations of something solid.We were always building on sand.

Sticks
Ratten

and the whole culture that allowed that to be conceived and fester is a stain on this footy clubs history.

_________________
Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Agree and despite the efforts of the last 2 weeks he realises that a lot of these players simply aren't good enough to take us to the top.

He will make the tough choices come year's end.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

They are certainly capable of being 4-2 maybe even 5-1.

But we aren't .

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I hope Essendon* folds.

yeah because of flakiness

youre asking us to win 4 in a row or something cimm.
we have done that very rarely

last 2 weeks weve done it with crucial players down...
thats usually the green light for us to crumble.

effort is a non negotiable.. and thats the first thing that needs to be installed into this team
with that will come confidence
with that will come team and success building

first things first

effort and uncompromising football WEEK IN, WEEK OUT!!!
if we cant achive this . the rest is ridiculous

_________________
Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Fair call, and it's what I think, a few of us MM naysayers were hoping at the least to get.
Now that we are using the corridor, and doing the run and carry and flair thing a lot more, I'm very happy.
I think most would admit it is not a style MM has been known for, but even if we only use it until MM gets the players who can revert to his own dour outdated style next year, I'm a happy camper.
(of course, he may never revert to it at this club, and that's a miracle I'd like to see!)
Surely it's defence enough if the team works hard off the ball to block, tackle and shepherd?
We do need to work on pinpoint kicking, and occasionally slowing down play without turn overs, but that's as much as I'd like to see.
I think we've shown our tackling skills are 1st class when the effort is put in.

_________________
That’s not a political statement — it’s a harsh reality, and we must act,” she said. “He is a clear and present danger to the things that keep us strong and free. I support impeachment.”

The FACT is we are 2-4 and that's where we deserve to be. Fairly "soft" draw as well. Port are a Top 4 side, the rest we have played are around the middle or bottom of the ladder.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015