The Dentist Wilf wrote:
I don't usually comment because I get myself into all sorts of trouble but this is a really interesting discussion
Can I just say that its very flattering that you quote the Diary and thanks as always to everyone for supporting it but in the end it is only one fans view and often wide of the mark as Rovers fans regularly point out, what's more its usually written straight after the game so the views are pretty raw.
However even now on reflection I have to admit that after the last two games I do feel let down by the players. It's not about skill or ability but about effort and demeanour and it has to be their responsibility to realise and interpret by their actions the importance of such games as these last two were. If it looks to us lot like they can't be arsed however much they protest that they can, there has to be an element of truth in it, because in sport actions speak louder than words.
I don't think that anyone can say that isn't true for they have to at least appear as enthusiastic as we all are! However, and its a big however, when I said this week ……...
Our players have let us down in the last two games and however you try and dress that up, it’s a fact!! Mentally they are just not at the races and although I always shy away from Coach bashing I’m sure Lee himself realizes that the mental state that the players enter the field in, has to be down to their preparation and understanding of the situation. They look as if they don’t care and once the crazy desperate stuff starts with the ball in their quarter, no one seems capable of steadying it down. although I’m sure they do care, as I have often said it all seems a bit too cosy and comfortable for some of them at our club at present.
Then its a corporate responsibility and I think I'm trying to say that in my opinion if they are ill prepared mentally and don't appear to us to want it enough or even as much as we do in such critical situations, then their preparation and mental coaching is not working and if that is going wrong and some do appear too comfortable at times with their status in the team, then it is down to the Coaching staff to make sure that isn't happening. Skills training is all fine but mental preparation is so important as I think we saw with Huddersfield this week.
I don't want to get into long diatribes about the Diary because it is just an opinion and as I say just my thoughts as an ordinary long suffering fan.
That's my two penneth anyway and you know You can usually detect the mood in camp by what comes out and what you hear and I think I quite fancy us on Thursday now!
Thanks Wilf as that just about sums it up for me and waht I was trying to get at.
Whilst the players are certainly at fault and rightly should take the criticism levelled at them about their poor performances it also has to be said that what ever is not right when it comes to them crossing that whiteline come kick off Radford can not do much at that point. However its the fact these performances are not isolated incidents they are now far too common an occurence hence the frustration in the supporters.
The fact these as said are not isolated and are now pretty regular that has to come down to the coaching staff to address and solve to cure then mental frailty we see in the players. Against Huddersfield there was signs of the old Hull FC that sulked and buried their heads when things werent going well, instead of the never say die attitude they had in 2016/2017.
This group including the players and coaching staff whilst maybe not being all world class quality are more than capable of producing much better and consistent performances than they have done.
