Just like all port fans I've woken up on this Friday morning extremely disappointed in what was once a proud club. Last night's performance was abysmal but sadly I kind of expected it. This club fails when the pressure is on, from top to bottom it fails. There's no sugar coating it. Clearly a new voice is needed. Unlike a large number of our supporters I've always backed Ken in, although he's been here since the end of 2012 and has become a bit stale I've always stupidly believed that he would deliver us the success we've all craved since 2004. I no longer believe in Ken. I no longer believe this team can achieve greatness under him.
When the pressure comes, his gameplan falls to bits. When was the last big big game that we won? 2021 Qualifying final? Then we got absolutely embarrassed in the preliminary. Winning it out of the middle and bombing it forward will work against 50% of our opposition. Of course the West Coasts and Richmond's of the comp won't be able to compete, we have enough talent there that we can coast through and beat the teams that we should. But when the lights get a little brighter and the spotlight is on us we melt. Time and time again we've melted.
Where to from here? I don't know. We have to accept that Ken's the coach at least for this year. I honestly feel like this is now the beginning of the end. He needs to go not because he's a bad coach, if anything he's above average but that's not what we stand for. We need a new voice at the top. We need a new game plan.
Many supporters are piling on the players, players like Marshall and Dixon, I don't understand how these supporters expect these key forwards to kick goals with the absolute garbage that's kicked into them. Stat's say we get it in to them enough but look at the actual entries, absolute rubbish bombs, we lower the eyes maybe 10 times a game and look semi decent then the set shot kicking let's us down. Dixon and Marshall this year off the top of my head must be going at about 70% set shot accuracy? I don't believe they are the problem. I don't thing getting a young Scully in or a fit Ollie Lord in will do anything to better us as a team. They'll also struggle with the garbage we serve to them.
The problem is the coaching. This win the ball and bomb it in game plan is not the answer. Ken needs to go and he needs to take a couple with him. I also feel like Jed Mcentee needs to go. He's also a fan whipping boy but rightly so. He provides absolutely nothing to the team and I believe we should be blooding a youngster like Charleson or Tommy Anastopoulos to just give them a taste. They might add a bit to the team but there's no way they add less than what us currently being served by Mcentee.
I'd love nothing more than to be proven wrong but i feel we will lose to the cats this weekend, beat the hawks and north in the following 2 then lose to the blues to head into the bye at 7-5. Not great but average. Average is what this once great club has become. Let's hope I'm wrong and Kenny somehow turns it around but I have no hope.
As weird as it sounds football becomes a little more enjoyable when hope is lost. The wins feel greater and the losses don't hurt as much, time and time again over the past decade our hope has risen and been ripped away when the lights get a bit brighter. I hope our great club returns to the pinnacle soon. I believe we have the list I truly do. I just don't think we have the game plan.
When the pressure comes, his gameplan falls to bits. When was the last big big game that we won? 2021 Qualifying final? Then we got absolutely embarrassed in the preliminary. Winning it out of the middle and bombing it forward will work against 50% of our opposition. Of course the West Coasts and Richmond's of the comp won't be able to compete, we have enough talent there that we can coast through and beat the teams that we should. But when the lights get a little brighter and the spotlight is on us we melt. Time and time again we've melted.
Where to from here? I don't know. We have to accept that Ken's the coach at least for this year. I honestly feel like this is now the beginning of the end. He needs to go not because he's a bad coach, if anything he's above average but that's not what we stand for. We need a new voice at the top. We need a new game plan.
Many supporters are piling on the players, players like Marshall and Dixon, I don't understand how these supporters expect these key forwards to kick goals with the absolute garbage that's kicked into them. Stat's say we get it in to them enough but look at the actual entries, absolute rubbish bombs, we lower the eyes maybe 10 times a game and look semi decent then the set shot kicking let's us down. Dixon and Marshall this year off the top of my head must be going at about 70% set shot accuracy? I don't believe they are the problem. I don't thing getting a young Scully in or a fit Ollie Lord in will do anything to better us as a team. They'll also struggle with the garbage we serve to them.
The problem is the coaching. This win the ball and bomb it in game plan is not the answer. Ken needs to go and he needs to take a couple with him. I also feel like Jed Mcentee needs to go. He's also a fan whipping boy but rightly so. He provides absolutely nothing to the team and I believe we should be blooding a youngster like Charleson or Tommy Anastopoulos to just give them a taste. They might add a bit to the team but there's no way they add less than what us currently being served by Mcentee.
I'd love nothing more than to be proven wrong but i feel we will lose to the cats this weekend, beat the hawks and north in the following 2 then lose to the blues to head into the bye at 7-5. Not great but average. Average is what this once great club has become. Let's hope I'm wrong and Kenny somehow turns it around but I have no hope.
As weird as it sounds football becomes a little more enjoyable when hope is lost. The wins feel greater and the losses don't hurt as much, time and time again over the past decade our hope has risen and been ripped away when the lights get a bit brighter. I hope our great club returns to the pinnacle soon. I believe we have the list I truly do. I just don't think we have the game plan.
