Chiefs 12 Esher 12 review
Chiefs Flag
By Exeforever
December 14 2008
In a very personal piece for The Tribe, Exeforever vents some of his frustration about yesterday's (sat 13th) dissapointing result. The Chiefs have a habit of finding at least one banana skin to slip on during the season, the difference here is they managed to draw the game not lose it.
Chiefs 12 Esher 12
Review
Everyone has now had a chance to voice their views on yesterday's performance so this is more of a case of putting it into its broader context.
If I may briefly refer back to my preview, although I said that we needed a 60+ points win I did warn that we had underachieved in comparable fixtures and boy, didn't we do so again.
It has to be a cause for concern that the omission of certain key players can lead to such a falling off in performance and the jibe that we don't have strength in depth, merely a large squad, looks very accurate today.
Another crucial theme to emerge from yesterday is the lack of either a plan B or the leadership on the pitch to improvise plan B. The "straight up the middle, little pop passes to forwards who ran directly into 3 man defensive groups" tactic didn't work in minute One and was still not working in minute 80+. Yet both wingers waved (increasingly frantically) as they stood in acres of space unheeded by the half backs. It was deja vu to the worst of the bad old days at the County Ground.
Given this total lack of leadership the award of Man of the Match to Richie Baxter had an element of rubbing salt into wounds and was greeted with open derision by everyone in the part of the stand that I was leaving.
For the first time this season the team's departure from the field was met with some isolated booing and a number of people have expressed the view that "real supporters" don't boo. I feel that, on the contrary, this is probably the only effective way that supporters can make a protest at the level of "performance" that was dished up yesterday. The days when players were amateurs who played for civic pride and were consequently entitled to your respect win, lose or draw, are long gone. We are currently represented by a league of nations of players some of whom probably had to look Exeter up on a map before they first came here. These men are paid a salary which, at least in the vast majority of instances, exceeds the national average wage (and substantially exceeds the local average wage), whilst the supporters pay close to £20 per game (members paying by credit card and sitting in the grandstand) and those supporters are entitled to expect that the players put in a fair day's work for a fair day's pay. This did not happen yesterday and if booing is the only viable way of showing how supporters feel then so be it.
Finally as we now know Leeds have taken advantage of our horror show but fortunately only by another 4 points hence a 5 point haul at Headingley would level things off (bar the points difference). It was the Board and management, not the supporters, who floated this season as the big promotion push. Next week they have one chance to redeem both yesterday's fiasco and to put their aspirations back on track. They really cannot afford to mess it up.
The players, win or lose, should face the fans and the fans (if they have the danglies) should be honest but not abusive about their feelings.
it's easy to stand from afar and be critical, do it up front, but be constructive.
The players all knew they hadn't put in a performance and the complete silence from the crowd at the final whistle told it's own story.
Yes, it is a professional game now but I still think the supporters can be "civilised" and not take after that odd round ball game, whatever it's called.
The league is still in our hands. We just have to beat Leeds, get the 5 points. Then win every game with a bonus point, rack up huge scores and overtake the points difference between us and Leeds. Yes, I know it's late but I haven't gone to bed yet and I'm not dreaming.
The fat lady isn't quite singing yet.
Tony
Booing our team is not right, the silence at the final whistle was understandable ,we were stunned . -to be honest I could not make much noise at all by the end of the game anyway .It would be good if those booing had made more supportive noise during the game when it has a chance of doing some good.
I do not like the off off off chant either .
As for next week ,let's go for it .I for one will be there shouting my heart out as will many others ,and I know a lot who can't make the trip will also be shouting at their radios/computers .
Oggy Oggy Oggy
However, having made the selection errors it seems to me that not only did we show a complete lack of leadership and direction on the field but saw little or non from the home dugout. I know we now live in a professional era but in time gone by somebody should have read the riot act on the field and definitely in the privacy of the dressing rooms at half time. Maybe they did of course in which case we have the wrong sergeant major.
Call me old fashioned but I believe a coach should select the best fifteen week in week out and don’t tell me players need or want to rest in this modern professional era we enjoy. Players don’t like to sit on a bench never mind the stands.
In the short number of years I’ve watched Exeter play since moving to Devon I have been amazed at our obsession to believe we can win every game through the forwards when for the first time we appear to have more than a competent set of backs that can be used to great effect in close games.
Now we move to Leeds where we will have a genuine potential Premiership opposition and I’m sure there will be no rotational policy in place this week. A win is the least the target anything less than that will ensure yet another season in what will become the Championship.
I would hope and expect the coaching team and to think long and hard about Saturday’s game and ask themselves if the really want to play the Baths, Sales and Wasps of this world or do they enjoy the comfort zone they live in? We will know the answer at 4pm on Saturday.
Home or away the suport is always there for the Chiefs, I can only think these two are not as loyal as the rest of us. I hope they read these postings and no matter how they feel at the end of a match they remember to have some manners!!
End of rant....bring on Leeds the Chiefs can do it.
Quote by Neil Back on the Leeds website today
I Hope You Gave Super Dougie Flockhart A Cheer.
Oggy Oggy Oggy
Esh Esh Esh
Quote:GJ
Sorry but booing is cowardly. I remember way back a dejected player asking me what I thought after a disappointing performance, I told him the performance was@#$%&all round, he already knew it and acknowledged as much.
Quote:GJ
The players, win or lose, should face the fans and the fans (if they have the danglies) should be honest but not abusive about their feelings.
it's easy to stand from afar and be critical, do it up front, but be constructive.
What a strange feeling.... I with you on this one GJ
The boys will certainly be fired up for next week after Saturdays showing.
Is this not a sign of the times or maybe it is the wake up call we needed I am still undecided on which is which. As for the booing I don't agree with it but I can understand it. This was going to happen sooner or later though keep messing around with the team and at some stage a poor performance or bad result will happen. We now face the almost impossible task of going to Leeds needing all 5 points something that would be of miracle preportions and then that might not be enough come the final wash up. Don't get me wrong I am as committed as anyone but you would have to say thats another year in this league whatever format it takes. We looked like a team that had been thrown together we lacked direction we lacked ideas where was the plan B and C when plan whatever that was did not work. I am not normally one to Critisise PD but I think he got that one wrong.
We must not dwell on it but move on to the Leeds game, get our preparation right and go up there and kick some ass.