The problem is he shouldnt have been appointed in the first place
He was unproven but more importantly lacked experience. The interview process was not thorough enough
He has nearly had 3 years and we are going backwards
feasibly we cant sack the coaching staff but there is an obvious culture problem at the BLues and its a boys club


Sticks and Ratts are from a by gone era yet they are at the helm and they are mates

Tell me thats right because it isnt

We simply dont have the best people in the important posts.

Ratten is way out of his depth and if last night didnt prove that to everyone you were watching rockwiz instead

We have recruited ok to some extent but lack enough players who can kick the ball properly and have pace.

Lucas can find the footy but is similar to so many on our lists.
He aint quick and isnt a penetrating kick
We have too many players like that
It is unbelievable that we pick 4 mids in the last draft before all the concessions come in for GWS and GC. No pacy players.




The problem is that not enough is done to try and change things and we will continue to go backwards unless we try some different things.
Example play Betts in the guts more and play Gartlett who when he plays makes us look a better side because he has natural speed.


To me Ryan Houlihan's career sums Carlton up

This guy is 15 games away from 200
he should have been delisted ages ago. He is a lazy footballer. Some of his defensive efforts were pathetic last night yet do you reckon he will be dropped. Unlikely just as its unlikely the most experienced player on our list will change the way he plays


And it aint good enough in this day and age of modern footy.

It aint Ratten's fault entirely. Many of our players are mentally weak and dont try hard enough.
Just because a player is making his debut doesnt mean you dont man him up and chace
Colyer and Melksham were excellent but were not paid the respect they were warranted. They had Essendon* jumpers. That should be enough. Some of our players think too highly of themselves

I would drop a number of players this week.
Houlihan, Warnock for starters.Gartlett and Jacobs must come in

Gibbs as well . He was disintersted last night. Bring in Kerr. See how he goes.
Ratten needs to make a statement that no matter who you are or wear you came from you can wear a red jumper and show you will do the team things if you want to wear a blue jumper

Ratten can show some balls for starters and do something

My concern has ALWAYS been about having an untried and young coach in charge of a club that has been down for a long while.

The mistakes are magnified and have longer lasting effects. When Ratten started he brought a more modern game plan and brought a more defensive mode that Pagan lacked. He also inherited a very talented BUT inexperienced list.

As with what happens with most new coaches they get their sides to take the next step BUT then get found out.

IMO we have no improved since about mid last year. We have some of the best talent in the comp yet they are being wasted and are not developing. We are also getting nothing from our second tier players and most importantly as a group we look very unhappy.

I said it at the time WHY did we not follow the Pratt model and go for 'THE BEST' person??? To this point no one has been able to explain why Ratten was appointed without a proper process. In any other organisation if you were appointing a key senior staff member (for around $500k p.a.) you would not give them and two other candidates one interview!!!

_________________
#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Funnily enough I agree with most of what you say. I actually don't think Ratts is out of his depth, I just think he doesn't have the right personel surrounding him and is in desperate need of a strategic mentor. But last night what cost us the game was repeated poor skill level. Ratts can only do so much about that...the onus is on the players to reverse that this week.

Agree re: selection. Give Jacobs a game in Adelaide.

Thats like saying that Garrett wasnt responsible for the deaths with the insulation

Ratten is ultimately in charge.
Again he is out of his depth
BECAUSE HE IS THE HEAD COACH

Guys this Houla argument is one that will never go away and IMO opinion there is no right or wrong.
Yes he could of been traded when he had currency, specifically as a young 20's year old post the Sticks Braddles Era. Houla is a good player in a good team. But when we struggle so does he and he is always a target for this citism.

However had we comeon quicker that what we are currently, Houla would be targeted as a super skilled utility who hits targets recives and delivers precisely. He would be a loaded gun not a blank bullet.

So maybe its not Houla fault its the MC who decided to keep him but couldn't get the team together quick enough to utilise a player like him.

There are a few clubs at the top who would love a player like Houla on there list. And maybe its still possible..... However as a Top 4 club he is also an asset to us.... Just that we're not Top 4 yet....

_________________
I know a little secret. And i'm not sharing.

That I agree with. The buck stops with him. It's about time we stop employing mates!!!!

_________________
#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Houlihan wouldnt get a game at a top club because of how he plays
soft footy

Agree here. Those responsible for assembling our list must be looked at!

For too long they haven't and it is time they were assessed properly.

I agree with the view that circumstances are very different now to when we appointed Ratts. Ratts has taken the team as far as he can, he has made us AFL competitive again, playing a more modern style of play than under Pagan.

Problem is, to go further, you need an actual plan, and tactical smarts. Ratts has neither of these. Wayne Brittan was better tactically than Ratten.

Basically Ratts will be what Grant Thomas was to St Kilda, someone to drag them out of the bottom rungs of the ladder get a bit of belief back into the place, but ultimately not cut out to take the team to the top. Ratts is about as useful tactically as Grant Thomas, without the man management skills, making him completely unfit to be a senior coach.

Im not advocating he get sacked this instant, but I can see very clearly where things are headed. Things will get worse before they get better this season, and unless we come home with a wet sail second half of the year, he will be sacked. I think anything less than 10 or so wins and he will be struggling to keep his job at the end of this year. (especially if we continue to have an injury free playing list)

Even if Ratts dodges the bullet this year, unless we are minimum top 6 next season, his contract wont be renewed.

People can complain its Richmond like or whatever, but they gave Wallace 5 years sent the club even further back. Giving the wrong man time helps no one.

So with the above requirements I have suggested Ratts should make, does anyone at all think that if we are not a top 6 side by the end of next season Ratts should still be coach?

We have a lot to work with on our list, but leadership and a vacuum of talented/revered leaders older than 27 or so is obviously a massive problem. We are still paying the price for our penalties and poor drafting a decade or so ago in that regard.

I don't think we have done too much wrong in the way we have recruited recently, but I think we need to begin to trade agressively to get more of what we need to the club (confident this will happen).

For example we have a surplus of ruckman, we can definitely off-load one for a draft pick/key position prospect.

That is the big difference now, our list has some currency. Back in 2003/04, we had nothing anyone wanted, a bit like Richmond now.

Ratten should have taken the night off, claiming he "had to eat".

_________________
"I had to eat"

Yep, Ratten is clearly responsible for recruiting players who came to the club before he was coach. He should have foreseen them, blueman style.

_________________
And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

_________________
And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

If his contract is up this year then he'll be judged on this year. If we don't make the 8 he'll get the boot which will be fair enough, if we make the 8 he keeps his job.

_________________
"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

Ratts' contract was extended to the end of 2011.

Pretty sure there are quite a few other current coaches who are contracted to that date as well.

Cannot see the board doing anything until then at least.

this, i think, is a pretty fair summation of things as it stands. he would probably get a pass this year, due to the nature of losing fevola and developing a new game plan etc.. however, we certainly cant make a decision after 3 games.

i would suggest, by the half way mark we would have, all of us, would have a better understanding of where he is at, and where the players are at.

its rd3 FFS

rd1. we win this game, easily
rd2. we lose to J.Brown, but IMO actually played pretty well, and it was only our poor conversion that cost us the game
rd3. probably our worst performance for 5 years. it really was terrible, and we were only saved from a 100+ loss becuase we played the buumers

rd4. crows at AAMI, i think we are a chance, judd is back and will be burning, adelaide arent in great form
rd5. cats at the MCG, will be a tough game, aslong as we play well. its a respectable loss type game.
rd6. the filth, these like bombers game, hard to take anything from, as usually the underdog, takes the win
rd7. saints. a real test, without Roo, they could be in for a tough period and could be a game we snatch
rd8. port, in AAMI (3rd interstate match in the first 8 rounds) dury still out on this mob.
rd9. hawks, tend to struggle against these guys so another really good test.

rd10. west coast at Etihad
rd11. melbourne at MCG
rd12. Noth at Etihad
rd13. Freo at Ethiad

i point these out, becuase realisiticly we could be 1-8 after 9 rounds, which would be a nightmare, i think we need to win at least 2 of these games, to be any chance of finals. 3-6 after 9 rounds, which isnt great, could lead to 7-6 after 13 rounds, which is certainly alot healthier position to be in.

our second half of the season is alot easier than our first half.

i think, by rd 13 we will see where we are at. as a club, as a coach, and as players.

and this time, unlike the last few years ... Malthouse, Matthews, Roos could all be on the market ... all of which, depsite my want for desire for Ratten to succedd, i would take in a heart beat at Carlton, but none of us, can make the call so early into a season FFS. its Rd3!!

_________________
Got to love the stare Down by Setanta on Llyod

I agree... He has had enough time to stamp his mark on the club, and it seems we're overall still no better now then we were in 2008. Same coaching mistakes, same lack of skills by the players.... Of course it's still way too early in the season to make a comprehensive judgment on where this are at this ear, but the signs are worrying to say the least.

_________________
James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

Good post SS. Flawed though...you expect people on here to wait beyond round 3?

_________________
"I had to eat"

You wouldn't happen to be the bloke who asked John Elliot at his 3 quarter time smoko to sack Brett Ratten if he still has influence at Carlton?

Whoever that was hang your head in shame. And I'm glad he got loudly booed by all that were around

No thanks.
At least Ratten is not a big fat liar.

_________________
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.”