I know we were sort of talking about this on another thread Rodger. I don’t really think that TW would be as tolerant as others before him have been and so we will see new standards of what’s acceptable. But what are we waiting for and till when do we need to wait?
I’m not particularly keen on seeing our prized recruits being subjected to ways that have led us to nowhere before, especially when they’re capable of a lot more and better. I just reckon that if we want to stop going down the same track as we have in the past then we need to start giving these young players the opportunity to set their own high standards. Because our standards of the past just aren’t high enough for them, or anyone. Maybe that already happens in ways we don’t get to see, but what is visible is what happens out on the ground.
And Friday night was a good opportunity to see the past and the future in the one game. As rapt as I was with the efforts of the young players, I was just as disappointed in some of the efforts of the senior group of players. Noone really stood up when it was needed and they just about all made bad decisions under pressure, or gave away unnecessary free kicks. The selfishness displayed by undisciplined acts at times was just typical of what we have become all too used to seeing. And just gives everyone else another reason to continue laughing at us.
Something’s gotta give. Either we start setting team-oriented standards of discipline now or we kiss the careers of these young players goodbye. Waiting until they’re ready to take over the mantle may just be too late.
Maybe I’m being a bit over the top, but like most others, I’ve been watching the same players doing the same things for long enough. I want to see something that says we’ve really changed. It takes time to develop a team and even longer when you continue to accept the sort of standards we have accepted in the past.
Unfortunately the only way to answer this is to say it is going to take time. But fortunatley I can also say this, It shouldn't take the normal amount of time to change things as It would usually.
Now that I've got you thoroughly confused, Ill try to explain what I mean buy what I just said, but first I've got to give you a bit of history. A few years ago, probably about 3 or 4 I did a quick study of team performances leading up to the change of coaches and after the change of coaches and my findings were that on average it takes about 18 months for a side to fully adapt to the new regime of the new coach.
In that first 18 months of that new coaches life he is busy implementing his own philosophies, training routines, stratergies, ways about handling particular things that come up in games conditions etc, you get the idea?. But while that is happening there is something else happening that is just as important "old routines and solutions to situations are being run out of the normal operating patterns of those players.
If you look at it from the viewpoint of driving a car you'll understand what i'm saying better. When you learn't to drive a car, you had to learn the body actions that where needed in order to make the car move, to go faster, to slow down, to stop it etc. After much or a bit of practice these actions become an automaticity, meaning they become automatic, you no longer have to deliberatley think about what your doing, the body just does it. Well it's the same with football, players learn routines, a game plan if you like, and learn to do things in particular given situations, Like when blah does blah I do blah, or when I'm under pressure I've got to chip kick to the wings or hand ball backwards to gasper etc.
The point is, there will be operating patterns that these players will be running on an automaticity, this is why we will continue to see at times, like we did on friday night where the players go back to doing the things we all have hated for the last 5 years. In the last 10 minutes of that match the pressure on the minds of our players would have been greater than at any other stage in the match especially with the pies kicking goals and getting closer and with the lack of time to recover, it was the last quarter, we didn't have another quarter to look forward to where we could regather our composure and bounce back, it was now or never. And what happened, the old automaticities of our older players kicked in beutifully, the young guns kept attacking, our old heads went back to old ways and disappeared and we lost the game.
Now comes the good news, as I said, it takes about 18 months to iron out these old operating patterns, which means about the middle of next season we should really start to take off and be making a much much greater impact on the competition, however it might not take us that long. The reason it might not take us so long and this is the one really good thing about this situation, is that we have turned over our list quite substantially and more will be turned over at the end of this season. This means that the old routines will not be as ingrained into some as it is into others, our last years draftees and this years draftees should be fine and should adapt very quickly to Wallace's new stratergies and routines but our older guys are going to take more time, probably the full 18 months, could be quicker, some also may never be able to make the transition unfortunately.
So I'm afraid our yuong guys are going to be stuck with the inadequicies of our older troop until those older guys learn to adapt to the new methods. In the main, on the surface they will look to be adapting and they will be, but the real story comes to the top when the pressure is on, when time and space is closed out, thats when the old get out of jail actions take place. Only time, constant drilling and usage of the new patterns can eradicate it.
TS I hope this has answered your query somewhat. You say that "I want to see something that says we’ve really changed" well, I think we have seen that to some extent and the more the season unravels it will become clearer to you that things are changing for the better, by mid season neat year it will be very apparent, I know it is not now but we just have to grin and bare it and get the boys out on the track and drill drill drill.
On another topic, Leadership is another major issue that the club needs to confront. We don't have any real leaders, I honestly think that a good consistant player at this stage should be made captain until one of the younger players stands up and can assert his authority on the group. At this stage I would be happy for the club to name Kane Johnson as the captain and then get Coughlan, Jackson, Raines, Roach, Newman, Hartigan, Deledio,Tambling and anyone else who might be showing a bit through some sort of leadership and Media training in preparation for the future role as captain. I'd give Johnson 2 years in the job while we are developing and then promote one of the younger guys into the position.
