IMO, Ratten could stay if we do sneak into the finals, and then win 2 finals games. I believe the board will
look at this as a pass for Ratten.

As far as I'm concerned, the club made the bold statement that the club wont take anything less than a top 4,
i would like to know what the ramifications will be.

And just to add, Waite came out a few weeks ago, claiming that when all players are fit and all
hit the field that we are a definite top 4 for 2013.

How about shutting your mouths and prove it on the ground, rather making promises you cant keep !!

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BRING BACK PERFORMANCE BASE PAYMENTS !!!

Make finals, lose first week to North/Geelong/West Coast = Ratts gone.

Make finals, win first week, lose to Pies/Hawks/Crows/Swans week after = Reckon it would depend on the performance of the team we lose to after that. If we get done convincingly, only for say Adelaide to travel over here the week after and be pumped by Hawthorn, I'd say he's done. Losing to the eventual premiers has a nice ring to it.

Make finals, win first two, lose prelim = You'd think he's safe, barring a flogging. Could see a Wallace/Sydney like payout occurring with MM.

Whether they're keeping him or not, I doubt that the board has the mentality and conviction to go ahead with whatever their plan is as of today. May even change two or three more times between now and the final siren of the season..

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

We're still missing our 3 best backmen. In light of that, it's hard to ignore our results when given a reasonably healthy list.

Undefeated heading into round 4. Then we end up losing 4 players on the day, 2 in the first few minutes. I can't imagine any club pulling out a win under those circumstances.

The bombers lose one key guy at the end of the 1st qtr yesterday, and then proceed to get raped and pillaged.

Just looking at the type of personnel we've had off the park too, and it'll run into Ratten's favour come review time, imo.

Carrots - 8 weeks. our most important mid
Murphy - 8 weeks. Our best mid
Laidlaw - season. Our best defender & cut off guy.
Henderson - Season. Our best KPP
Waite - 10 weeks. Our best forward by a long, long way.
Hampson - 10+ weeks. Our most improved tall.
Simpson - 4 weeks.
Judd - Suspended 4 weeks.
Warnock - unfit, under done or injured the entire season. Maybe our number 1 ruck when fit.
Walker - 5+ games.

I can't imagine any team losing 6 or 7 of it's best 10 for large chunks of the season still scraping out 13 wins (possibly).

This isn't ignoring the deficiencies in our coaching box, they exist. I get the sense our box is improving as the season wears on, and that should not be taken lightly.

Nah, there's 4 games we judge Carlton every year. We lost one of them by 30 points in rnd 4.

As for the coach...he gets a 3 outa 4 for that effort.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I'm all at sea over Ratts now. Probably best to see where we're at after R23.

Let's hope we can follow up yesterday's effort for a few more weeks yet.

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I can't believe the collection of misguided opinion that turn mediocre results into a justification for keeping a very average coach. We beat a team who has been the worst performed in key measuring stats for the last 6 weeks. 16th in disposal efficiency is one. Start making an assessment on who we haven't beaten rather than on who we have

To be frank (sorry, Frank) I'd rather one of the Scott brothers than pretty much any of the coaches who might be around to put up their hand for the job.

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

Yes, I understand that.

At the start of the year if anyone said we were a better than even chance of missing the finals the immediate response for most would be that Ratts would have to go.

However, we were at a very low ebb mid-year and while the turnaround hasn't been spectacular by any means I believe it deserves some merit.

We need to find out what or who is responsible for our improved efforts of late, because after the North loss, for example, if you said we'd beat Essendon* (or any team) by 96pts before the year was out you'd have been laughed out of town.

Doesn't matter how shit Essendon* were yesterday, it still takes a concerted effort to beat a team by that margin.

Perhaps the improvement rests with the accidental playing of Bell, Casboult, McInnes, White et al. With that maybe has come more freedom due to lack of expectation.

One thing we clearly haven't improved on since last year is our mental strength and ability to meet high expectations.

Dropping the Port game is another example of not being able to grind through results. But things have changed since then; is that change sustainable?

That said, I don't have much faith in the way Ratts presents himself to the media and thereby the fans. He rarely fills me with confidence with what he says. So my naive answer to that is, if I feel less than inspired on my couch, how do the players react day to day and in the heat of the game? I am probably miles off the mark here and am one of the least qualified people to judge Ratts, but I sense I'm not alone, haha.

Ratts has recently tried to be a smart arse regarding the Tom Browne Ch7 piece, on the one hand he claims he doesn't care what journos write or say, but then says he's going to watch SBS now. Well, which is it? If it didn't piss you off you wouldn't feel the need to make piss weak comments in return. He needs to rise above that, not get sucked in so easily.

Regardless of how it has happened, it is great to see the potential that remains in the likes of a forward line with Waite, Walker and Casboult as the talls, and a defence that doesn't have to rely on Jamison.

Let's face it, we're never going to get a full season from Wate or Jamo, ever, so to see some signs of an ability to cover those inevitable losses is a real step forward.

Anyway, I understand that I'm just a mug punter who's opinion waxes and wanes as much as the next person. That's why I'm not on the board, haha. Ultimately, if the team, is winning then I'm happy.

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BIT?

We should all take it one week at a time. Come round 23 we can have a good hard look at ourselves.

I have a massive man crush on Chris. As a fan back on my couch, he would fill me with a lot of confidence.

Compare his criticism of the deliberate out of bounds at Perth recently, to the way Ratts so ineptly fired back at Tom Browne. With Scott you get a clear and concise message delivered in a composed and rational manner. With Ratts you get a fumbling ineptly delivered spray that wouldn't upset a toddler.

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So Hawthorn don't count?
So beating Stk twice in a row doesn't count?
Beating Geel? Swans? Adel?

Bottom line is that even during our Pagan days we could beat Coll and Essendon*. The above mentioned sides have had us by the short and curlies during Ratts' reign.
Not sure about MM personally.

Am really shit scared about the decision we make for 2013. Short term fix? process? keep Ratts? inexperienced coach? Dunno. I have little faith in the Carlton management to make the RIGHT decision, whatever that will be!!!

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If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!

Quite possibly Camel and it might also impact on memberships but I hope it's given a lot less weight than other factors when the decision is made.

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I hope Essendon* folds.

And you left out Laidler. Don't forget Laidler - gone for the season.

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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/

Time To Galvanize
Ratts is Carlton and has the players hearts.
He should have the Carlton faithful too

Just a lack of process in identifying what talent we actually have on the list. Frightening really.

Dumbest reason ever to appoint or hold onto a coach.

Voss is brisbane.
Primus is port Adelaide.
Hird is Essendon*.
Ratts is Carlton.

So what??

These guys aren't mascots, they're the most important person in the football department.

If having the club's blood running through your veins is key, then Parkin would never have coached us to 3 flags. Matthews wouldn't have coached Collingwood or Brisbane to 4 flags. Sheedy at Essendon*. Thompson at Geelong, Clarkson at hawthorn, Scott at geelong...

It's completely irrelevant. Follow that line of thinking, and you'll end up with, I dunno, a guy like Sticks Kernahan heading up your board of directors. Imagine that.

I don't think anyone denies that Ratts loves Carlton and is a good bloke. But if that was the criteria for becoming a premiership coach, you could advertise the position on seek, and get about 200,000 suitable candidates.

Just ask yourself honestly, if Ratts quit tomorrow, would any other club seriously consider him as its next coach? Also ask yourself if the Scott boys played for Carlton and Ratten played for Brisbane, how would you feel about Ratten the coach? I think we all know the answer to that.

It's fine to be emotional while watching the game, it's crazy not to. That's where the pleasure is. But when considering things like this, it clouds your judgement. God help us if the people making the decisions are following some kind of 'Ratts is Carlton' mindset, and giving him extra credits for that.

Can't believe Hird / Thompson out-coached Ratten again and Buckley is just too good for him as well.
Woosha & C.Scott just humiliate him every time we play them as well.....and don't even get me started on Hardwick......
Simply embarrasing to lose by 95 points against Essendon* - he must be removed. Sticks as well......it just makes sense, doesn't it?

All the information coming out, is it's been Ratten & the players.

Ratten got hard with his line coaches and players that mediocrity won't be tolerated, and you will be shown the door. You wear the guernsey, you have an obligation.

The players stood behind him and are out to prove he needs to stay.

This could tell us, that before Ratten was too busy being everyone's friend and taking he gently gently approach -- didn't want to upset anyone etc etc ... Now with his job on the line -- and it was/ is on the line -- he's thrown caution into the wind. Harder with people, to hell with what they think, and a more positive, daring game plan revolving less about what the other team might run at us with, and more about lets put guys out there and just worry about winning our ball.

The big question to decide Ratten's fate now should be, can we do it against top 4 teams? The only way we get the answer before the end of season review is if we make the finals.

If we don't make the finals, and I don't expect we will -- Fremantle will beat North who are now assured of finals, and the final week is a formality for the dockers -- it leaves a massive decision to be made. I get the feeling it'll a damned if we do, damned if we don't kind of decision. re Malthouse or Ratten.