Redpath's departure no real shock
BR - "I'll get my coat"
By Cherry Picker
April 18 2012
The resignation of Bryan Redpath really shouldn't take anyboidy by surprise. Recent Gloucester results have been awful, as have most of their performances, the season as a whole has been poor and the atmosphere at Kingsholm recently has fallen well below what we are used to.
In short, something had to change … and Redpath possibly beat the club to the punch when he decided to resign.
He is in charge and the buck stops with him, and his body language and general demeanour in the last couple of weeks have suggested that he knew it.
The talk linking him with the vacancy at his old club Sale has only muddied the water and it is significant that Ryan Walkinshaw has said: "We would like to stress that Bryan's departure is not connected with recent media speculation regarding his future and is based purely on results. It is with great sadness that the board accepted Bryan's resignation.
"However, he feels responsible for the recent run of disappointing results on the field of play and feels that he has taken things as far as he can. We respect that decision."
Read what you like between those lines, but the club doesn’t appear to have put up much of a battle to get BR to change his mind.
Meanwhile, Redpath said: "It's a results-driven business we're in and I hold my hand up and take full responsibility for the fact that we've not performed as we should have.
"I have dearly loved my time at Gloucester. It's a fantastic club in a true rugby city with devoted, passionate supporters. But I think it's now someone else's turn to take charge."
Whether it is just coincidence that Glaws face Sale in their final home game of the season on Saturday remains to be seen.
Forwards coach Carl Hogg will be in charge for that game and already the conjecture on who will get the job long-term has started … how many people are regretting that Dean Richards is already fixed up at Newcastle?
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All makes sense BUT
Why leave with 2 games to go and destiny still in your own hands?
Why jump when if it really was that bad then you were likely to get pushed with the resultant compensation? Is quitting any more honourable than being sacked? It's certainly less profitable!
In terms of the leavers and joiners Redpath believed he had identified and addressed some of the key issues that have dogged Gloucester for a few seasons. If the issues won't be addressed until next season, it stands to reason they're still there. This, combined with our mid-table status and the number leavers in the squad, could account for the lack of motivation and poor results.
Why put a team together to resolve the issues, then leave before any of the key signings arrive? This year we've drawn at Vicarage Road, beaten Toulouse, Quins and Saints at home and completed the double over Bath at the Rec. I don't know why BR has resigned, but I do know it's got nothing to do with results.
Basically, in professional sport it's ALL down to results and BR's have not been good enough.
If Glaws were top of the Prem and playing for the title, would he have quit?
No.