The interesting thing about Ratts v Richo

[SydneySainter]

Is that despite over 5 years of underachievement under Richo, he still had many defenders here up until the very moment he was finally given the push.

Whereas I don’t sense that Ratts is being given the same love by this forum.

[saynta]

Is that despite over 5 years of underachievement under Richo, he still had many defenders here up until the very moment he was finally given the push.

Whereas I don’t sense that Ratts is being given the same love by this forum.

Chalk and cheese mate, chalk and cheese.

[skeptic]

Is that despite over 5 years of underachievement under Richo, he still had many defenders here up until the very moment he was finally given the push.

Whereas I don’t sense that Ratts is being given the same love by this forum.

100% agree. The Richo love bordered on fanaticism... coached us longer than Alves, Lyon, and GT despite no finals, defenders sticking up for him poor result after poor result, crappy decision after crappy decision.
Good loyal supporters that they were. Never speak ill of him right up until he went and then sink the boots in.

Ratten has had something of a lukewarm reaction since the get go. Gets positive results, buys some time and the angst grows.

Interesting observation

[Waltzing St Kilda]

Don't think the premise is true.

What is true that "The Richo Years" will be the shortest chapter in the next History of the St Kilda Football Club. An absolute black hole.

And many of us are terrified that history is repeating itself. Great bloke but not a premiership coach getting six years to tread water.

[shanegrambeau]

What were the top three things Richi did wrong decision wise?

[skeptic]

What were the top three things Richi did wrong decision wise?

Recruit Hannebery
Longer is great
Success is in small to midsize forwards - Weller, Newnes, Kent, Lonie, Hind, Parker, Butler
Allowed Roo to vacate the captaincy to Geary (should have waited a year)

[Wayne42]

Unless Ratts wins a flag his tenure at the Saints will be no more pleasing than Richo's.

[desertsaint]

Unless Ratts wins a flag his tenure at the Saints will be no more pleasing than Richo's.

we'll always have 2020!

[shanegrambeau]

What were the top three things Richi did wrong decision wise?

Recruit Hannebery
Longer is great
Success is in small to midsize forwards - Weller, Newnes, Kent, Lonie, Hind, Parker, Butler
Allowed Roo to vacate the captaincy to Geary (should have waited a year)

I read Richo didn’t want Hanners..
Maybe he was too diplomatic? Too humble? Something Watters may have shown him?

The other points…mmm well some of those players in that list were not always terrible…

[SaintPav]

Contract extension talks gone quiet.

[Wayne42]

Contract extension talks gone quiet.

In public they have.

[bangaulegend]

Contract extension talks gone quiet.

In public they have.

Why rush head long into a new contract when the season is far from finished .

[Wayne42]

Contract extension talks gone quiet.

In public they have.

Why rush head long into a new contract when the season is far from finished .

I don't think they are rushing into it, it's round 15 and nothing has been announced. Who knows what the parties want and don't want in a contract, negotiations could drag on as
both parties take their time to agree to compromises. Personally, i'm more concerned about the list than the coach.

[Yorkeys]

Ratts has a once in a generation forward and cannot get a good return from that.

Ratts has a better, not good, but better, mid field. Ratts has a better defence.

Ratts is a better coach but is struggling to get us into the finals and in the end what does some marginal difference between failed coaches mean.

I thought Richo did his coaching by rote and had no imagination or instinct or innate understanding of how best to deploy his players. I am starting to wonder about Ratts. Wondering if his commitment to the current first choice 22 as a group is stopping him from making needed changes and not acknowledging the blindingly obvious. Also possibly too many cooks involved in the "coaching".
The effort against Sydney will be defining. As will the team performance in the coming month.
I desperately want Ratts to succeed, hope he can pull the right levers, press the right buttons for Saturday.

[Impatient Sainter]

Ratten still has time to turn his tenure into something - if he throws away his match day plans and and starts coaching with a feel for the game.

It seems apart from a couple of player's our team player magnets are super glued to the board and deemed never to change? No matter what phase of the game things are in, he refuses to mix things up.

[WellardSaint]

Say bye to Ratts.
Say hello to Clarko

[Wayne42]

Maybe some of the players are just not as good when they are asked to play in different positions, as some supporters wish they were, maybe Ratts is well aware of that and leaves them where they play their best.

[B.M]

Which year did Richo have a list capable of finals

He took over in a bottom out

In a compromised draft era

Doomed to fail, no cattle

[skeptic]

Which year did Richo have a list capable of finals

He took over in a bottom out

In a compromised draft era

Doomed to fail, no cattle

Yeah... if only he had 6 years to turn over the list.

Tell me BM, what masterstroke move of Richo’s did you like the most...
Not dropping a defensive forward that dropped himself after not tackling for half a year
Identifying Longer as the ruck man worth keeping with Bruce as the back up
Perhaps it was the unflinching faith in Kent that you liked
I also enjoyed SInclair the makeshift forward and Steele as the in and out tagger.

Was a great coach. Results proved it

[shanegrambeau]

Contract extension talks gone quiet.

In public they have.

Why rush head long into a new contract when the season is far from finished .

You have to put your head inside the head of a manager….
Now might be a good time.

Now think about the figures at the club too…They all have agendas.

[shanegrambeau]

Contract extension talks gone quiet.

In public they have.

Why rush head long into a new contract when the season is far from finished .

You have to put your head inside the head of a manager….
Now might be a good time.

Now think about the figures at the club too…They all have agendas.

[Sainternist]

Contract extension talks gone quiet.

I’m guessing that’ll happen should they team consolidate a final 8 spot. Otherwise, he won’t be offered an extension.

[jays]

The best thing Richo done by a mile was recruit Paddy over petracca

[spert]

Any coach who fields such an unmotivated team as we saw last week, is not much good

[Vortex]

As 42 said, I'm more worried about the list than I am the coach. As always the list makes or breaks a coach and my view about this list is it is similar to the list Brad Scott had with Notth, an eternal middling list that peaked as high as the preliminary final stage when lady luck was around and bottomed out when she left building.

We could have a coach that is a genetic mutation of Clarko, Sheeedy, Malthouse, Mathews and Norm Smith and we would still be a middle of the road club.

A critical mass of AFL grade players is what wins flags, the coaches biggest contribution is speaking in cliche's at press conferences.

We are about 6 to 8 AFL grade players short of a flag.