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[So It Is]

The rebuild is going to take a minimum of 3 seasons I reckon.

Season 1, spend whatever cash we have on a top quality coach with a track record for developing youngsters. Need a new defence and attack coach. It will be a mediocre season but hopefully young lads get a chance to show what they've got, and the likes of Stockdale, Hume, Doak etc., get a massive boot up the Brennan.

Season 2 - get a big name signing in plus a few bolters. Get back into the Top 4 of the URC, maybe a Round of 16 in the Champions Cup. Attendance and general interest from the public in the club back up again.

Season 3 - another 1 or 2 big names. Youngsters should be established by this point. Start challenging for the URC, able to compete against decent sides in the Champions Cup again.

It all starts with dumping Dan and getting a good coach in though. A la Cheika and Leinster many moons ago.

[Columbo]

I agree with your final sentence about dumping Dan and getting a good coach in, but I have to say I don’t agree at all about the rest. I think a reset is required in terms of completely clearing the decks of the messers in the coaching team who are dragging us down, but we have a very solid squad, in fact more than that we have a very good squad. The match yesterday was case in point, we went there with very far from a first choice side, we were physically dominant all over the park (ok, after Moore went off ) our defence was on top, and we created lots of great opportunities - what did for us was, once again, woeful attack, terrible execution in the red zone, poor lineout, poor decision-making and composure, and the majority of these things are coachable.

[So It Is]

A very good squad doesn't get beaten by the Ospreys imo.

A distinctly average one does. Yes most of the team are playing "below par," but its been so long since they've played to their ability that I'm concerned that former ability and potential might be gone forever.

Call it my Stockdale Theory of Pro Sportsmen.

[CIMANFOREVER]

I agree with your final sentence about dumping Dan and getting a good coach in, but I have to say I don’t agree at all about the rest. I think a reset is required in terms of completely clearing the decks of the messers in the coaching team who are dragging us down, but we have a very solid squad, in fact more than that we have a very good squad. The match yesterday was case in point, we went there with very far from a first choice side, we were physically dominant all over the park (ok, after Moore went off ) our defence was on top, and we created lots of great opportunities - what did for us was, once again, woeful attack, terrible execution in the red zone, poor lineout, poor decision-making and composure, and the majority of these things are coachable.

Not sure I agree ref far off first choice side?
Trouble is a lot of those who look good on paper are nearly past it or bereft of form for ages now- Moore, Addison, Lowry, Stockdale, RB, EOS, AOC, McElroy. Really not first choice anymore. Also injury plagued- Reffell, Herring Hendo, Ewers, Luke.

Plus we don't pick form- Matty ffs? No Stewart Moore lately when not injured? Kitshoff on the bench?

Only the injured and McCloskey/ TOT were unavailable. Would you have AOC or Treadwell over Sheridan?
A lot of the young guys yesterday I'd be playing as near first choice- Sheridan, Wilson with TOT, McCann, S. Moore, Stewart. Why Luke didn't start is again crazy. Postletwhaite has not shown anything like his rating. Yesterday was about a win, not rotation.
And we let Lyttle go for JS/ RB, Moxham and McIroy...

[justinr73]

S Moore was mentioned in last week’s update - thigh injury.

[CIMANFOREVER]

S Moore was mentioned in last week’s update - thigh injury.

I know- I said not selected when not injured tbf to me

[Columbo]

A very good squad doesn't get beaten by the Ospreys imo.

A distinctly average one does. Yes most of the team are playing "below par," but its been so long since they've played to their ability that I'm concerned that former ability and potential might be gone forever.

Call it my Stockdale Theory of Pro Sportsmen.

I guess my point is that if you think that our squad is so poor it requires a 3 year rebuild, then why would you need a reset?! If that was the case, Dan and co are doing a sterling job, sitting mid table and picking up wins against Leinster, Racing and Munster among others..

What I’m seeing is a squad of players who were progressing really well up until 2 seasons ago - going back and watching highlights from then is actually painful.. our attack was absolutely purring, McCloskey, Hume, Baloucoune, Lowry all deadly, but also our drills were so good, we were creating really fast ball, lineouts and mauls deadly etc etc. And then for whatever reason not long into last season it started to go wrong, and since then we’ve gone backwards at a rate of knots, with essentially the same group of players - most notably our attack has absolutely hit rock bottom, but also our breakdown work is much sloppier in attack and defence, lineout and scrum flaky, defence was dreadful last year, it’s actually improved this year in fairness. These are all coachable things.

(But even with all that said, we can still pick up good wins - in spite of being poorly set up.. what we can’t do is trust in our systems to deliver consistent back to back performances. So last time out we beat Leinster, this time out against a soft Ospreys team who posed next to no threat all match, we fail to take opportunities, keep them in the game and lose a match we should have been 2 scores clear in by the final quarter)

On top of that the vibes are just absolutely horrible. Petrie gone into hiding. La Rochelle shambles cost us a fortune. Rumours of players leaving. Players openly praising Soper and not McFarland. McFarland disappearing from view only to pop up every so often to blame a rotating cast of someone else - players, ‘training’, most recently the ref

[So It Is]

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one Columbo.

Past performance is not an indicator of future performance and all that jazz.

Because the players were on fire a few years ago does not mean they will hit those heights ever again. Some might, but more won't. And a new coach might be how the few that do get back to their best, but I feel there are many more examples down the history of sport of teams/players that are smoking hot for a season or 2, grow stale and never get back to their best, than of players getting a 2nd wind in their careers.

I know the likes of Hume, Lowry and Baloucoune are still young enough to have a renaissance, but it aint a forgone conclusion that they will just because they showed how good they were 2 years ago.

I appreciate this is a very negative take on things, but hey, I'm an Ulster fan

[shamalicious]

What I’m seeing is a squad of players who were progressing really well up until 2 seasons ago - going back and watching highlights from then is actually painful.. our attack was absolutely purring, McCloskey, Hume, Baloucoune, Lowry all deadly, but also our drills were so good, we were creating really fast ball, lineouts and mauls deadly etc etc. And then for whatever reason not long into last season it started to go wrong, and since then we’ve gone backwards at a rate of knots, with essentially the same group of players - most notably our attack has absolutely hit rock bottom, but also our breakdown work is much sloppier in attack and defence, lineout and scrum flaky, defence was dreadful last year, it’s actually improved this year in fairness. These are all coachable things.

The decline started from the 84th minute of the URC semi-final against the Stormers.

[big mervyn]

Should be 2008 prices for the next home game.

[UlsterNo9]

Hopefully a few McFarland and Petrie Out banners at next home game

[CIMANFOREVER]

URs homeland security Eventsec won't allow it. It won't pass URs protocols/ Seven tests of Values