ThePsychologist wrote:
jim wrote:
Ratts did a great job and deserves more accolades for the job he did. So I refuse to distinguish between them.
I saw the last couple of weeks for the first time that we are starting to mould into the Malthouse way. He's adjusted the way we've played to suit our strengths and we we've responded accordingly. We have substance, less fragility, good run, and usually go where the best option is whether it down the corridor or around the boundary. We're setting our forwards up now instead of bombing. Defensively we finally look like a side after all these years. Players are developing, including average one becoming contributors, as he managed to do at the Pies.
It's taken us more than a year and a half, and some compromise from the coach but finally, after all this time, we're a slowly looking like a Malthouse side re: Collingwood and the Eagles. Suppose Rome wasn't built in a day and we have years of bad, habits, poor culture and attitude to get over. Still work to do though and it's still "early days".
We still have things to work on. Better kicking at goal, better composure when it matter, as alot of close losses aren't bad luck, as MM says, and those bloody red time goals. It was 5 last night. In a low scoring game that, together with
poor goalkicking, kills and cost us the game last night. There's those schoolboy errors too that still need to be eliminated but they're getting less.
it is not all about ladder position. If it was about the bottom line then mm did as well as ratten in his first year as ratten in 5. It is about the state a coach leaves the list in. Ratten left carlton futureless. Malthouse will leave the next coach with something to work with. If malthouse wins two finals will you admit you are wrong?
I'm more encouraged than i have been for years, despite our 6 wins, as we're looking like something. There's still work to do and we can easily still slip back.
Right now kudos to both Ratten, who took us from the brink of absolute sh1t to near PF, and MM for finally getting his playing to play with commitment and substance and being strong enough to change and coach more to our strengths.
Some fair points Jim but I felt that Ratten was always learning on the job and that is always dangerous with a young group.
In the end he was in charge of a football department that had great draft picks & Judd and due to poor recruiting and development under performed.
All you can look at under Ratts was the results. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, in this case the results and we improved each year, but the injury ridden last one, to the point of near playing a PF, injuries costing us there. Given where we were he did a really good job.
Not sure the coach has total control of the footy department and draft picks. It was something Terry Wallace was saying once on SEN.
Anyway, enough of Ratts, those days are done, back to MM. As I said for the first time we look a side with true substance, plying in the typical MM mould. That is another step up again on many previous years.