Macca

Well at least we can say that there's a fair bit of room for improvement, DemonOX Strangely enough, I can see the list as a positive. Better to look adversity in the eye and then do something about it. The other choice is to try and ignore the truth, hope it all goes away or to just simply deny it. When we talk about the team going back to basics, there's quite a lot to remember to do - even without intricate game plans. Anyone could have written that list. There's other stuff as well, of course. Might involve too much scrolling though!

Memphis play the Spurs in game 1 of the Western Conference final on Monday morning at 5am (ESPN) Fairly sure that ESPN are covering all the Conference final games. Hope so anyway. Miami await the winner of the Knicks/Pacers series. Game 5 highlights

Yeah, saw the highlights. Hope your series doesn't go the way of GTG's. Those last minute losses are annoying. Your blokes had their chances today. This series against the Bruins could go to 7 games. Rangers need to win game 2 though.

Yeah, I reckon the idea has merit. Helps give another form of the game it's own 'season'. It's an ideal way to start the summer of cricket. I'm not a big fan of the 50 over format but that October window could give it a good kick along. So we'd have the domestic one day series followed by 3 Shield games in preparation for the Tests in Nov/Dec. Then we'd get the Big Bash right through the Holiday period along with the ODI's. Finishing off with the Shield season. Little bit more streamlined. England all out for 232 in the 1st Test against New Zealand. We need those Kiwi's to knock their confidence around a bit hey? New Zealand 1 for 5 in reply ... lost a wicket as I was writing this post - typical! Edit: We play England in 5 x ODI's from mid to late January (2014) Possibly followed by 2 or 3 T20 Internationals.

Your prediction of an extremely low number of wins (1) for the season has become a bit of a recurring theme by others as well. I just quoted your post. If I went through the entire thread there would be many others to quote apart from yours. Your post simply allowed me to express my views on the matter. I've seen other posters on this thread come out with the "What did you all expect?" and the classic "Instant gratification" jibe. (some of these very same posters were predicting a finals finish in 2012!) It's coming across as giving up on the team. The very thing that many of our supporters are accusing the team of doing (giving up) The excuses have effectively turned into a massive lowering of expectations. And that is dangerous ground. We shouldn't be chucking in the towel and our expectations for this team shouldn't change. I expect wins and so should all of us. Don't let the team beat you down. Demand more, not less. I'm not being unrealistically optimistic - we are totally under performing as a club and we're capable of so much better. At the moment, our players aren't giving a yelp - whatever the reason is, they had better improve in a hurry. Our list is quite capable of winning some games in the remainder of the season. Probably not in the next month and possibly not under Neeld (although I haven't ruled out that he might coach a lot better) There is always a junk time win or 2 at the end of the season as well. Here's what our players don't do enough of. What if all or most of our players get much better at the following? It's an interesting exercise to go through each of our players on our list and then measure that player against each item. All of our players can improve dramatically in all these areas of the game, if they want to. A lot of it is a pure mindset and it's not always related to natural ability ... Our current crop of players can't think for themselves. The team has no confidence. Has no dash and daring. Has very little teamwork. We don't lay anywhere near enough effective tackles. We don't run to position. We don't kick to position. We don't shepherd or block We don't back each other up. We play from behind. We're constantly 2nd to the ball. Gut running isn't part of our game plan. Our disposal skills are woeful. We hang our heads too much. We don't use the corridor anywhere near enough. Our 2nd and 3rd efforts are generally poor We play an outdated game style. We don't talk out on the ground. Give and go handballing - rarely see it. The players don't care enough when we lose. Our players are lazy. We don't man up. We give up too easily. We don't chase or tackle with enough intent. Our forwards get caught from behind too much. Our clearance work and system out of the middle is virtually non existent. We don't know how to win. We're generally soft.

The current list is under performing to an alarming degree. A lot of them can play a damn side better than what they are and we are quite capable of winning games in the remainder of the season. But a few things have to happen ... The players need to lift their game by about 200% The coach needs to start coaching well - if he can't do that, he goes. The club needs to stop all the spin right now and set up some achievable goals - like winning games. At the start of the 2012 season, 70% of 'landers were expecting (on average) 5 and a half wins in the 1st half of the season (in a poll) And 80% of 'landers were expecting a finishing position on the ladder of between 13th and 6th for the 2012 season (in another poll) That equated to 12 and a half wins (on average) Not many were predicting this level of misery. Certainly not the large majority. Either the very large majority of us were completely wrong or something has gone completely wrong to prove otherwise. I'd favour the latter reason.

I did read what you said. The bit about you saying that we won't win another game this year stood out - obviously. You made no comment on the repercussions of all those losses. I did and it's quite an eye-opener, you'd have to agree. Get into the real world and stop making excuses. Start setting some goals for the club. Were you saying we'd only win one game at the start of the season? If so, when and in what thread. My guess is you're changing your mind on the run.

Exactly ... as bad as things are, we still need to somehow find a way to get some wins. 1 and 21 carries with it, its own ugly baggage. Anyone who thinks that 1/21 is somehow ok really hasn't got a clue. Everything is up to Mark now. He needs wins to survive. Our woes are not entirely his fault of course. Our players performance last week was deplorable. And the club as a whole isn't performing up to scratch. We've got our issues. There's obviously some issues with the inner workings of the club. Peter Jackson talked about the 4 lines of communication from the FD to the CEO. And we were led to believe that CS was being largely kept out of footy matters. What else is there that we don't know about? Jackson has most probably set out some achievable goals for Neeld. One those goals would probably be to not lose every remaining game for the rest of the season. The club as a whole needs to start talking about winning. The level of spin emanating from the club has reached epidemic proportions. Jackson needs to put a stop to the spin. Don't want to hear from our players either - they should concentrate on getting a kick and they need to start playing as a team. And any more (non) 'efforts' like last weekend will no doubt be unacceptable to Jackson. He oversaw some very fairly successful Essendon teams. Doesn't strike me as someone who would 'embrace' losing.

Do you understand the repercussions of not winning another game this season? You really need a reality check. We are at crisis point and one of the ways out of this mess is to win games. Stop towing the company line and get into the real world - if you're capable of that. Here's a few things for you to contemplate. If we don't win another game this season and continue to cop thrashings ... Crowds will continue to drop off. Membership will be negatively affected. Sponsors will drop off and our ability to attract them will diminish. Our financial 'bottom line' has to be affected negatively. Players will want out (whether they're contracted or not) Our ability to attract talent will dissipate. Prime time games on TV - forget about it. Confidence within the club will get worse. Confidence within the supporter base will diminish. It will take longer to recover and heal. All our streams of income could be adversely effected. Be careful what you wish for. Do you really want all the above to happen? Because it can and it will. Some areas already are happening. We nearly reached 37,000 members in 2011. Now we're limping our way to 33,000.

After today's results, is it too early to predict the likely Conference finalists? Miami vs Indiana and San Antonio vs Memphis? (although the Warriors could win the last 2 games in that series against the Spurs) Anyway .... here's the highlights from that Spurs/Golden State game 5.

I listened to the a fair bit of the game live and watched the 3rd period again. So close but that can happen in Hockey. It's a bit like soccer that way - I've seen 2 late goals happen a bit.

Yeah, hard luck GTG.

Here are the images ... looks cool and all very 21st Century! ... Vikings new stadium

I was surprised at the size of the crowds at the CFL games. It's more popular than expected. Hopefully by mid June our footy team will start playing a lot better, otherwise, it's the Canadian Football League for our sporting joy. C'mon the Saskatchewan Roughriders!!!

Golden State even the series with a win over the Spurs in O/T ... Full highlights (game 5 is on ESPN on Wednesday - our time) Games tomorrow ... Heat @ Bulls and OKC @ Memphis. For Chicago it's a must win and maybe it's the same for the Thunder.

Early August. It's just as well I'm into the Hockey and the NBA. Definitely need lots of distractions from the footy club. Or for us American Football fans there's always this alternative (wonder if Tim Tebow will make an appearance!)

All at stake tomorrow hey ... done very well to get back into the series GTG ... on Fox1 here in Oz at 9am. The Bruins fans will be on edge - especially if Toronto can score the 1st goal. I'll be tuning in. Same deal for you dd, your game is on at 10am (though not on cable, unfortunately) This series was the hardest to pick and it's no surprise that it's gone to 7 games. That will be a good series with the Kings. Is there a rivalry with LA? Read somewhere that the teams went 2 and 2 in the regular season so it could go to at least 6 games.

Just had a look at it now ... it's about 2mins 30 secs into this highlight package ... only 5 mins to go in regulation too You'll find out who you're playing after tomorrow's games. That Detroit @ Anaheim game is on Fox3 from Noon.

Chelsea keep hold of 3rd spot with a hard fought win at Aston Villa. It's looking like a battle between Arsenal and Spurs for that 4th position and a Champions League qualifying spot. Chelsea do have a tough final game vs Everton so it's not quite done yet. FA Cup final seems to get later and later each year. 2.15am start this time. Be great for Wigan if they could win but it's gonna be tough against Man City.

Canucks not good enough. Clean sweep for the Sharks. Maybe it's their time. San Jose will play the Blackhawks or LA but they are well rested and anything can happen in playoff hockey. LA went 4 from 4 in the end so they're obviously dangerous. Detroit may surprise and it would be terrific to see them match up with Chicago. Big crowds outside of Toronto's stadium hey? That was a good win in Boston today by your blokes. Next one at home so ya never know. We're getting a number of games on cable over here which is great. Game 6 of the Pens/Islanders is on tomorrow from 9am. There's nothing in that Rangers/Capitals series either - could go either way. Are Ottawa the real deal? Their record in getting to the playoffs in the last 15 years is excellent. Only 1 Stanley cup final showing in all those playoff appearances though. Are their fans comparable to Bomber fans Here's the highlights of that Rangers/Capitals game today.

Channel 9 in danger of losing the cricket ... Nine: better the devil you know

Double header on ESPN tomorrow ... 10am ... Miami @ Chicago then at 12.30pm ... Spurs @ Golden State Here's Klay Thompson's 34 points from the 2nd game in San Antonio ...

Couple from the 70's. Robin Trower (formerly of Procul Harum) Macca 13.0 Robin Trower ... 'Pride' and ... 'Same Rain Falls' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_Ib57Pa88o

Ottawa and the Blackhawks are through to the 2nd round after both won comprehensively today. The Penguins won as well and now lead 3-2 over the Islanders. The Senators are playing very well at the right time of the year and they are scoring well above their season average. Here's the highlights of their game 5 win over Montreal. They will play the Pens in the next round if Pittsburgh get through. For those with cable, Fox3 are covering game 5 between Toronto and Boston tomorrow from 9am.