Ratten would want to get a win next week, that's all I will say

Why wouldn't he want a win next week?

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

I doubt there's that much pressure on the guy, but it would be a disappointment.

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

I think Hardwick has got more to worry about than Ratten.The honeymoon is over for Hardwick and a few of the backroom boys are starting to look.Not many,but a few.The Tiger push to bring Mick home is at the moment a little light on the hill but the glare will get brighter if the Tigers continue to flounder.Fact,not speculation.

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All my dangerous friends

Ratts has the season. The club will back him to the hilt as they should until the end of season review.

Sure the media will start to go on about him being under pressure if we lose but it wont amount to much unless we start copping pagan style floggings week after week.

I reckon we will win though.

Geez, I'm clearly in the minority here. I can't see us losing more than six more games, and I'll list the losses here:

Collingwood
Essendon* (just because we do although I expect a dominant win this week)
Fremantle (so very similar to us in personnel, IMO)
Sydney
Hawthorn
Someone random, probably Hawthorn again (if we play them twice)

That's how confident I am with this team. I've moved past the mentality that we're a gumby team. I honestly believe we're a bloody good team, with huge, huge upside.

I think we'll beat St Kilda and Geelong and Footscray. I think we've gone past all three teams. Once we get a real spine with a CHF (Henderson), CHB (Bower), & Ruck / FF (Kreuzer), we'll be extremely competitive against every single team (except Hawthorn, damn it).

Just my thinking.

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"In better news for Blues fans, Jarrad Waite was not named on the club's injury list."

Dont see it myself HTP- we dont do enough of the simple things right to back us to beat the teams you have listed.

I still see us in the 6-8th bracket, which is exactly where we were in 2009. This is primarily due to the fact that Murphy, Gibbs and to a lesser extent Simpson have not pushed into the elite bracket when we desperately needed them to. They are very good footballers, but aren't elite and that's why we aren't elite.

Not saying it can't happen- but the signs are pretty clear to me that we are a pretty good team again in 11- will beat some teams we arent expected to beat, and will lose some games we are expected to win. I dont foresee the improvement to befit a consistent top 4 side.

Noted these observations are premised on a limited sample- but I see too much of the same worrying signs that will prevent us from pushing deep into the top half of the 8. Hope I'm wrong..

I hear you, Josh. And the rational bit of me agrees with you completely.

It's just the vibe though.

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"In better news for Blues fans, Jarrad Waite was not named on the club's injury list."

I struggle to see why there is doom and gloom at this time.

Round 1. Against the Tigers we started well, had a slump and then finally got our act together with several players missing that are probably in our best 22 in Special K, Hendo, Jamo and Bower. Also 3 of our backline had virtually no AFL experience.

Round 2. Creamed the GC17 as we should have.

Round 3. Led the Pies at 1/4. Had a bad 10 mins in the 2nd that cost us the game. Had a bad 5 minutes in the 3rd but finished even with them after half time again with Special K, Hendo and Bower missing plus a few others MIA on the day. And yet we faught it out against a team that was virtually full strength and has taken all before it ovver the past 18 months.

Sure we are a long way off perfect but all the doom and gloom has me bemused.

Regards Cazzesman

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Ricky Gervais - “Everyone has the right to hold whatever beliefs they want. And everyone else has the right to find those beliefs f***ing ridiculous.”

THIS.

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"In fairness it did seem in the early days of the draft teams would just pick a name totally at random out of a hat. I'm pretty sure we picked James Cook at #2 one year. The mediocre forward, not the explorer" - Me, 12/9/2011

Carlton 2012: Lets remind them why they once feared the Dark.

I reckon our gameplan is too obvious.

Hardly doom and gloom from me Cazz.. Just dont think we do enough of the basics right to be considered a top 4 side. From what you have seen so far (granted, it has been just three rounds) how confident are you that we will get over the following sides:

- Adelaide
- Sydney
- Hawthorn
- Geelong
- Saints
- WB
- Freo

I see a few wins there when we are on.. But not sure if I see enough on the sample of 2011 footy that I've watched so far. To jump the hurdle of mediocrity we really need to beat these teams on a consistent basis.. (haven't included Coll or Essendon* in that list)

We should win most of those games....if we are serious about what we are trying to achieve this season....after watching the Pies game again....whilst the intensity was good early...I couldn't help but feel the filth were cruising once they got clear....we never really looked like we could get back into it....however there were some definite signs of improvement in the game plan which I am sure the new assistants with Ratts are trying to implement more consistently.... was a more obvious game plan as opposed to a non existent one in previous seasons...reckon with some tinkering and getting Kruze back don't be surprised if we do really well this season....and so we should we really have an easy draw which we simply must make the most of....

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

I don't beat myself up about who I think we will or won't beat. Of course on their day those 7 teams could all beat us but on our day I have no doubt we can also beat them. It's a tough comp and a 5% drop off mentally is all it takes to get beat. Just look at the Saints. Mentally they are flat as a tack.

I just take it one game at a time and look to see improvement in many areas. Already I see players who are fitter and stronger. I see Yazz and Jeff and Robbo getting better. I see improvement in Warnock. I see Curnow taking huge steps. I see Judd getting support. I see Murphy looking fitter and running harder for longer.

If we continue to improve in our intensity and commitment to the contest then the wins will take care of the themselves.

If the players don't commit then you will probably have your much wished for present come early.

Regards Cazzesman

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Ricky Gervais - “Everyone has the right to hold whatever beliefs they want. And everyone else has the right to find those beliefs f***ing ridiculous.”

I think we struggle against teams that don't beat themselves, eg Sydney. When we starting beating those teams on their merits, I think we can lay claims.

The nex three weeks are crucial - Essendon*, a team Ratts has consistently struggled to deal with. I mean him too, as opposed to the players. When you get beaten the same way by the same team multiple times, it's a coaching issue. Sydney, who we've also traditionally struggled against, and Adelaide, who more often than not are a well organised unit who make you beat them, rather than costing themselves the game. If we come away from that period with three wins, I will believe we're a top four team this year.

That said, I tend to agree with Caz in terms of my optimism level for this year. I've seen nothing to suggest we aren't a step up from where we were last year. Just how far is that step - that's the question. Exciting times!