The UAFC

From rugby.ie

Meanwhile, hooker Frankie Sheahan offered a ringing endorsement of Mark McCall's defence work.

McCall's good work and positive feed-back from players may force Eddie O'Sullivan to move for the Ulster coach on a full-time basis.

"Mark (McCall) is doing a great job. We're working very hard on our defence and, in fairness to Mark, he must be thrilled that everything went well in Osaka," Sheahan said

"He is very clear in what he wants and has done a lot of research in to what way the Japanese attack. It paid off last Sunday, and judging by what he has achieved to date, let's hope the same applies here in Tokyo.

Now if only some of our fans could get behind him like that!

if only he would give us the opportunity!

Frankie also praised Bradley (backs coach), O'Donovan (interim head coach).

This type of thing happens frequently when a player is interviewed briefly after a game.

It is however interesting to read Newman's bit about EO'S being forced to take MMcC on full time in the Irish setup. Don't think I have read Newman before so I cannot judge what to make of his view.

Touché Paul.... touché.

But seriously though, the level of abuse the guy gets from us armchair pundits is more than he deserves in my opinion.

We aren't at training sessions, we don't know how the players feel about how he gets his message across and even what that message is. We never sit down and chat with the guy to get an idea of his rugby knowldge or theories about how the game should be played.

We just see the result which on the day is down to the 15 players and we can quibble about selection but with one notable exception (J Bell's long run at the start of last season) there has not been a glaring error in the teams he has picked. If it were up to you and me, we may have opted for different combinations for different matches etc but like I say, we're not at training all week and we don't know the kind of game he's been trying to play.

And leaving aside all arguments about whether or not he's got it wrong on occasions, the number of 'fans' (and I know people will still turn out to support the team and they were there along with 2 others and that dog back in 1997) who go for him like he was the sworn enemey of all that is good and holy about Ulster Rugby is astounding.

Vicious attacks on his competence by those poorly qualified to judge say more about the people slagging him than they do about McCall himself.

The average fans can vent if they like but their (and include myself in this too) comments should carry as much serious weight as the guy who said Big Joe was the dynamic leader we were looking for!

Surely we ought to support the coach while he's in the job? If next season goes the same as this he'll be judged on results and he has said himself that he wouldn't expect to be around for long if that were the case.

From now on, we are buidling for next season and we ought to all go in the same direction!

Donald Ducked wrote:... there has not been a glaring error in the teams he has picked.

There was a glaring error with their defence early this season. I think even MMcC has admitted that.

My critism is that he came in - took a relatively succesful system and changed it into one that was a failure, then persisted with it until it was too late. Now I'm no coach, but if I was just into my first ever proper job and things had been going fairly well under the previous manager, I think I'd take a bit of time to settle in before changing fundamental aspects of the operation.

don't really disagree donald me old ducker , I think most of the fans and, indeed most of the posters, are pretty reserved in our level of criticism. There are of course exceptions and they tend to be the things we notice and remember.

Let's all get behind MMcC and the lads from the off for the new season. But remember this is a professional sport now and rightly or wrongly the coach will end up carrying the can fo rthe performances on the field - don't be surprised to see some harsh criticism if things don't improve this season.

Freddie- I take it that you are suggesting that you're still in seach of your first ever proper job?

The problem with the Ulster team was never Mark McCall. I think it is fair to say that most of the McCall criticism came from the dark side. We have in the main been very reserved. The problem with Ulster last season lay with the forwards coach.

Colin

colinh wrote:The problem with the Ulster team was never Mark McCall. I think it is fair to say that most of the McCall criticism came from the dark side. We have in the main been very reserved. The problem with Ulster last season lay with the forwards coach.

Colin

That would be why the centres were standing looking at each other as an attacker ran between them laughing.

Come off it, in the early days the 3/4s defence was all over the shop - I think MMcC admitted that. Things didn't improve until Kelly came in and took charge.

Cockatrice wrote:Freddie- I take it that you are suggesting that you're still in seach of your first ever proper job?

colinh wrote:The problem with the Ulster team was never Mark McCall. I think it is fair to say that most of the McCall criticism came from the dark side. We have in the main been very reserved. The problem with Ulster last season lay with the forwards coach.

Colin

also

My readings of UR board and later ursc board last season was that it was some of high volume posters who were very critical. Like Donald, I include myself in that.

I believe that at all times I was trying to be constructive but at the end of the day, come kick off I was there hail, rain or shine giving it all for the lads. I mightn't always agree with selections (as Donald says we aren't privy to everything going on) and I was less than impressed by the effort/dedication in some games but I'll always SUFTU.

McCall's good work and positive feed-back from players may force Eddie O'Sullivan to move for the Ulster coach on a full-time basis.

... Carlsberg don't do IRFU press releases, but if they did...

"McCall's good work and positive feed-back from players may force Eddie O'Sullivan to move for the Ulster coach on a full-time basis."

EOS is hardly reknowned for acknowledging high performers from Ulster (remember the Bowe vs Dempsey debate during the later rounds of the 6N and the inability to quickly pull ROG ashore when he was floundering?).

Have to say i was guilty of the blame McCall for Ulsters failings feelings at the beginning of the season. A few points though,

1. Who has the say in the signing of Players? Like Pfister and Kershaw? If McCall had a hand in these serious questions need to be asked.
2. His persistance with Doak and Bell, ignoring Paddy and playing Larkin, who although a good player, doesn't offer us anything for the future.
3. What about the non-development of young players? Maxwell for was one of our top three try scorers, yet he only seemed to get on the pitch when Howe and Young were injured.

Have to agree with Colin in that as the season progressed it became apparent that the big problem lay squarely with the forwards coach. Hopefully with the arrival of Harrison and Boss things can change, as the song goes, Things can only get better.

JB

At the start of the season the defence appeared to go walk about until we brought in a defence coach and things started changing yet McCall goes to Japan as defense coach.

Why was it that the previous year our defence was the best in the league if as we are told McCall was responsible for it then.

When McCall was appointed he should not have been allowed to bring in a mate but instead someone at UR should ahve seen fit to appoint an experienced head. Clarke doesn't strike me as up to the job and as I've said elsewhere I think Kelly and Irwin do much more than their remit says.

Harrison will I presume bring needed experience and probably some coaching skills to the forwards.

Can't argue with many selections as we don't have strenght in depth but Steinmetz &Bell was strange as was Doak & Campbell. The signing of Kershaw needs serious examination as does the signing of Pfister over local talent if any actually exists.

3 aims none achieved another year like this and it will be hard to climb back. Are we now 27th in Europe and yet last year we were still in top 10 if not mistaken. Its a long way back and we have to start soon.