The Keep Mark Neeld Thread

[Harrisonrules 273]

I don't expect Neeld will be there next year, but if we sack him this week, one week after having an opportunity to sack him and discussing his future art a board meeting we are a disgrace. We could not have possibly learnt anything in those 8 days, the decision would be incomprehensible.

After the season, perhaps. With a few rounds to go, quite possibly. This week? I doubt it, it doesn't make sense.

Yes it would seem silly, but a big lossd (I think our backline is going to be shattered - Cloke 10 ) but a two week break may beareason it could happen this week. But I doubt it.

[Harrisonrules 273]

Yeah it's becoming rather boring the keep neeld sack him argument. I definetly think he made life harder for himself by coming in and getting rid of some of our players but I was actually happy with that and not one of them I cared to keep besides Rivers but he chose to leave. And I've since hear people saying that he was too hard, well f**k me we obviously had a lot of soft players. I just watched Chris Scott absolutely slam his players and they are sitting second on the ladder. If we have players who don't like being yelled at in a football team then they really aren't up to it. So I'm willing to see what Neeld can do for the remainder of this season and probably next. At least he likes hard tough players which is something the Demons side has never been, at least in my lifetime.

Hard tough players seems to have helped improve since Bailey. NOT.

[Red&BlueBlood 61]

Someone mentioned if there weren't expansion teams we would of only won 1 game out of 33... This is true but we would also have a better crop of youngsters that the GC & GES sucked up.

The coach can't give the players confidence, he can't make them get to each contest harder and quicker, there is only so much a coach can do do be it Neeld, Roos, Eade or whoever is in the seat.

Today GWS pushed the cats by sticking to a game plan & structure, are our boys so dumb that they can't do the same?

Neil Craig would have a lot to do with our game plan / structure, how far off can it be?

Not sure about you guys but when I'm at work I do what the boss says to, the way he said to do it... Maybe the MFC should try the same

[DemonOX 8,837]

I don't expect Neeld will be there next year, but if we sack him this week, one week after having an opportunity to sack him and discussing his future art a board meeting we are a disgrace. We could not have possibly learnt anything in those 8 days, the decision would be incomprehensible.

After the season, perhaps. With a few rounds to go, quite possibly. This week? I doubt it, it doesn't make sense.

Nothing Melb does makes sense deanox, so yes it could happen.

[DemonOX 8,837]

Its amazing its still being debated isn't it, the coaches record is absolutely putrid.

Yet when someone calls for Neeld to be sacked, its a knee jerk reaction!

WTF...........

[DemonFrog 1,359]

Mark Neeld is a comedy show that must go on!

The best day time soap opera I ever seen.

[Clark_Kent 315]

Hard tough players seems to have helped improve since Bailey. NOT.

I'd rather be on the road to trying to be like a Swans type side then continuing on 'BRUISE FREE' footy. I think we actually won the contested possesion against the Hawks which is a decent effort. That's the type of style I want my side to play.

[Lordweaver 235]

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.

[Clark_Kent 315]

Is this what Jobe Watson said to Watts the other day?

[Red&BlueBlood 61]

The 2 things we need to improve on quickly are loose ball gets - can't have the opposition having 100+ possessions every week and disposal efficiency.

Again a couple good midfielders will sort that out pretty quickly.

Also as stated our training standards are lifting, fingers crossed that starts showing in games

[Clark_Kent 315]

All our on field troubles are due to our midfield. It's lacking experience, talent and time. I would say the bulk of our midfield would have only played a handfull of games together. Get a midfield and we will fly up the ladder I guarantee it. F**k it I'll run for president.

[jumbo returns 6,741]

All our on field troubles are due to our midfield. It's lacking experience, talent and time. I would say the bulk of our midfield would have only played a handfull of games together. Get a midfield and we will fly up the ladder I guarantee it. F**k it I'll run for president.

F**k it, get me a midfield and I'll coach!

[RalphiusMaximus 6,110]

Wtf is with this thread?? If it wasnt for the two expansion clubs we would have only one win from the last 33 games. That is a disgraceful record. Dont care what anyone says cut our losses at years end and just part ways with him. We are getting thumped 90 plus points every week, we are losing supporters, losing money the list goes on. Im sure Neeld is a nice bloke but jeez cant coach to save his life.

Without the expansion clubs we would have picked up Tom Lynch instead of Cook. We'd have better mids because they wouldn't have taken the best half dozen from the last two drafts. We would have drafted differently last year without the need to sell pick three to get Hogan (who would not have been available).

I am 100% behind Neeld and want him to see out this contract and hopefully get the results next year to earn another one as well. I said well before he came to the club that we were unprofessional and that the people in charge didn't even understand how far off the rest of the league they were. He is exactly what I felt we needed for this to change and has done exactly what I expected him to do. I admit I thought we'd be more competitive by now, but I maintain that we are on the right track and that the results will come. After 50 years, I am willing to cop another season of pain to get the foundation well and truly set so that we can build properly.

[titan_uranus 25,209]

Agree with those who say 'take the expansion teams out and we've only had one real win' is ridiculous. The expansion teams are teams nonetheless. If they didn't exist we'd have a greatly different list. You can't on the one hand talk about how they're full of talent, and thus incomparable to us, and on the other hand bemoan our inability to beat anyone other than them.

At any rate, the 5/33 argument is strong enough as it is.

[DemonFrog 1,359]

F**k it, get me a midfield and I'll coach!

If you have experience and your name is not Mark, you have my support.

[PJ_12345 1,098]

If you have experience and your name is not Mark, you have my support.

So I take it you're not a fan of Williams?

[tonatopia 278]

This week, I restructured my business. I identified the character strengths of my workforce, especially the sales reps, and tailored a role that specifically suits their strengths to maximize there potential output. I also sacked a bloke who was an excuse maker.

It's a pity neeld could not identify our players strengths and work with there potential.

His arrogance cost us moloney. A big loss for our club, and one which is really hurting our team and our spirit.

I would be a better coach than neeld, I guarantee it, and I would do it for $70k a year.

[Nasher 33,617]

There are elements that Neeld has promised to deliver, which from the various bits and pieces I hear from those close to the club, I believe are being delivered upon and I still believe in them. This is the stuff like demanding elite preparation, training and fitness standards and so on, as well as delivering players clear messages about what is required to improve.

I also heard an interesting story about how the 'fringe' players last year being told in no uncertain terms what they had to do in order to be retained, the only one of them bothered to do them is the only one of that group still on the list. BH in another thread called in to question Neeld's approach to these fringe players including Gysberts, Moloney, Petterd and Morton, making the assertion that players won't improve if they don't have the confidence of the coach. I agree with this in part, but I also agree that if players are going to take an obstinate attitude towards taking direction from the coach, they do themselves absolutely no favours. As a senior coach trying to pull everyone on to the same path, I can understand you might sooner or later declare that enough is enough. A whole season is surely enough for a player to see the writing on the wall and pull his head in and these guys didn't.

Guys like Chris Dawes and Colin Garland have said they believe in the coach, and I believe they're being sincere.

The one thing that is obvious though is that we're being smashed on the field in a matter that is completely unsustainable, and this is why the coach will go. For whatever reason, when it comes to on the field, the message is not getting through, or it is but it's a poor message. Either way, I can't see how this cycle is going to break without a change. The performance of our players, mostly, have been limp and lifeless. Their confidence is destroyed. I honestly believe we're not as bad as we're playing - certainly we're a bottom eight side on merit, but we're not 100+ point drubbings to Essendon bad. I believe a change at the top and a fresh set of instructions will go some way to breaking the psychological barrier the players are behind. With the way we've been playing and the deep hole the players are in in their minds, I can't see how the coach can possibly be retained.

It's okay to point at the age and inexperience of the list, and the lack of quality through our midfield, but I think it's a huge leap to get from there to "it's okay to routinely lose by 10 goals". It's not okay.

The other thing very alarming about Neeld's tenure to date is that the goalposts keep moving, and even this year they've moved (5 year plan - since when?!). His complete surprise at our lack of competitiveness early in the year is horrifying - it really did sound like nobody was behind the wheel.

These are the things I see as our goals moving forward:

• Find a coach who is a good motivator and knows how to press the right buttons for different players. Better 'screening' of the coach during the hiring process is essential.
• Ensure the parts of Neeld's plan that are working are maintained. We need to be training and preparing at the same level as the best clubs, if not better.
• Back the players that we've got. I don't think all our players are as bad as they're being made to look due to their heads being in the wrong place. I don't expect 15 changes again this year.

I had this post interrupted a million times so I didn't get to ride my "trains of thought" all the way through as I'd have liked, but I hope I'm making some sense. Either way, while I have some sympathy to the sentiment behind this thread, I can't see how retaining Neeld is at all viable.

[Mr Steve 3,820]

One day Mark Neeld will be sacked as are most coaches.

[Ron Burgundy 8,588]

Absolutely agree with everything you have said, Nasher - that's a perfect summary of where we're at IMO.

[DemonFrog 1,359]

So I take it you're not a fan of Williams?

True I am not.

The guys lost any respect I may have had for him when he attacked the PA sponsor right after their GF win.

He too immature to be a Senior Coach.

[Hannibal 5,814]

Wtf is with this thread?? If it wasnt for the two expansion clubs we would have only one win from the last 33 games. That is a disgraceful record. Dont care what anyone says cut our losses at years end and just part ways with him. We are getting thumped 90 plus points every week, we are losing supporters, losing money the list goes on. Im sure Neeld is a nice bloke but jeez cant coach to save his life.

It's the way some are wired. It wouldn't matter how bad the incumbent was or the carnage they'd reeked on the club some will always support those in charge. The incumbent gets the sack, they're thanked for the service they gave, and the lemmings get right behind the new coach as though nothing has happened.

Rinse and repeat.

[Hannibal 5,814]

There are elements that Neeld has promised to deliver, which from the various bits and pieces I hear from those close to the club, I believe are being delivered upon and I still believe in them. This is the stuff like demanding elite preparation, training and fitness standards and so on, as well as delivering players clear messages about what is required to improve.

I also heard an interesting story about how the 'fringe' players last year being told in no uncertain terms what they had to do in order to be retained, the only one of them bothered to do them is the only one of that group still on the list. BH in another thread called in to question Neeld's approach to these fringe players including Gysberts, Moloney, Petterd and Morton, making the assertion that players won't improve if they don't have the confidence of the coach. I agree with this in part, but I also agree that if players are going to take an obstinate attitude towards taking direction from the coach, they do themselves absolutely no favours. As a senior coach trying to pull everyone on to the same path, I can understand you might sooner or later declare that enough is enough. A whole season is surely enough for a player to see the writing on the wall and pull his head in and these guys didn't.

Guys like Chris Dawes and Colin Garland have said they believe in the coach, and I believe they're being sincere.

The one thing that is obvious though is that we're being smashed on the field in a matter that is completely unsustainable, and this is why the coach will go. For whatever reason, when it comes to on the field, the message is not getting through, or it is but it's a poor message. Either way, I can't see how this cycle is going to break without a change. The performance of our players, mostly, have been limp and lifeless. Their confidence is destroyed. I honestly believe we're not as bad as we're playing - certainly we're a bottom eight side on merit, but we're not 100+ point drubbings to Essendon bad. I believe a change at the top and a fresh set of instructions will go some way to breaking the psychological barrier the players are behind. With the way we've been playing and the deep hole the players are in in their minds, I can't see how the coach can possibly be retained.

It's okay to point at the age and inexperience of the list, and the lack of quality through our midfield, but I think it's a huge leap to get from there to "it's okay to routinely lose by 10 goals". It's not okay.

The other thing very alarming about Neeld's tenure to date is that the goalposts keep moving, and even this year they've moved (5 year plan - since when?!). His complete surprise at our lack of competitiveness early in the year is horrifying - it really did sound like nobody was behind the wheel.

These are the things I see as our goals moving forward:

• Find a coach who is a good motivator and knows how to press the right buttons for different players. Better 'screening' of the coach during the hiring process is essential.
• Ensure the parts of Neeld's plan that are working are maintained. We need to be training and preparing at the same level as the best clubs, if not better.
• Back the players that we've got. I don't think all our players are as bad as they're being made to look due to their heads being in the wrong place. I don't expect 15 changes again this year.

I had this post interrupted a million times so I didn't get to ride my "trains of thought" all the way through as I'd have liked, but I hope I'm making some sense. Either way, while I have some sympathy to the sentiment behind this thread, I can't see how retaining Neeld is at all viable.

Good post.

It's hard to get "buy in" from the group when you get the senior players off side the moment you walk through the door. The senior players have a strong impact on the psyche of the entire group. Neeld undermined his own authority very early on and simply hasn't got the best out of the individuals at his disposal. After two years no young players have progressed. It's the most damning issue of them all. As well as the fact that even seasoned observers struggle to recognise his game-plan.

[jumbo returns 6,741]

Good post.

It's hard to get "buy in" from the group when you get the senior players off side the moment you walk through the door. The senior players have a strong impact on the psyche of the entire group. Neeld undermined his own authority very early on and simply hasn't got the best out of the individuals at his disposal. After two years no young players have progressed. It's the most damning issue of them all. As well as the fact that even seasoned observers struggle to recognise his game-plan.

There's your problem.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

The one thing that is obvious though is that we're being smashed on the field in a matter that is completely unsustainable, and this is why the coach will go. For whatever reason, when it comes to on the field, the message is not getting through, or it is but it's a poor message.

I think the message is fine, but it's the delivery that is the problem. I agreed with just about everything Neeld said in the pre-game address shown in round two, his delivery of that message was just down right awkward and awful.