Successful ones like the Port, Cheats and Norf who are 2-0
I wasn't talking successful clubs in terms of recent history. The early successful clubs in this bastardised 2020 season will be the ones that get their act together quickest.after the resumption. Few if any seasons have had such a disruption after the season has commenced. The uncertainty of the timing of the recommencement would also have impacted on the players.
Last weekend was virtually a new start to the year. How individual players will have coped with the problems of isolation will vary dramatically. Some will hit the ground without missing a beat and that will go for some teams as well. Other will take a few weeks to hit their stride.
@baggers and GIC..... I 'm not sure that what you're saying and what I'm saying are necessarily mutually exclusive.
My argument is that we are still to gel as a unit in comparison with other sides due to the turnover of personnel. Again.... 'No other club has had the changes of personnel ours has had in the last five years' It's a strategy few clubs have ever attempted. I suspect it's a model few clubs will ever repeat.
Now part of that understanding that needs to develop is the ability to combine together to apply pressure for longer periods of time. Passion for club and teammates is another aspect that develops over time. For a Jack Silvagni that's something he was born with...if you come through another club or two (the passage of a good number of our players) it takes a little longer.
We've had slow starts, but at least there's a belief there that even 6 or 7 goals down they're still not out of the game.
I posted in another thread that the resumption would cause some problems for some clubs. The successful ones were always going to be the ones who could get their 'combination' back together the quickest.
I don't think any club has gutted its list to the same extent that we have over the last five years. If you look back on my posts its a strategy I never agreed with from the start and we're still suffering the effect of what was a poor decision in the first place. But it does explain why we are where we are. The hope is that this year is a consolidation and we finally start to reap some benefits of a course of action we never should have embarked upon.
Lods to me you are describing the difference between confident, battle-hardened professionals and probably well trained players but whose past lack of positive reinforcements has left them tentative, lacking in confidence and without poise.
That comes with long periods of playing together and gaining an understanding of our team-mates strengths and weaknesses I think one of the major problems of the rebuild process we've undertaken is that with the constant list changes we haven't had a settled side for the last five or so years. Again this year our team is not yet settled with the introduction of new players and injuries. Until we get a core group playing together consistently I don't have high expectations. What I do want to see towards the end of the season is a more settled side.
It might not help much, but I've heard a few players say that when they do match simulation and skills work at training, they never miss a target. Clearly that's not much good when you're playing for 4 points, but if it's true (I'm sure it is), then the skills are there, but clearly there's a subtle shift in mindset that occurs on match day, because when it comes to the game, things don't go smoothly.
I think some of us (those that don't see it regularly) would be quite surprised at the actual skills these players show at training. I've no doubt the skills are there It's probably not so much a different mindset as a different level of pressure that players experience under match conditions. Under pressure the skills fall apart, disposals are rushed and erratic. When we are able to apply our own level of high pressure suddenly those skills wont look so bad....but that will require players going hard and supporting one another for 4 quarters...not just two and a half.
This is a 'Clayton's' season as far as I'm concerned. My only interest in it is watching us develop and set up for 2021.
There was a lot of positives there today. Pittonet's fightback. Docherty showing some glimpses of his pre-injury form. Betts didn't have a great impact but his defensive pressure was great. Cripps' didn't have a great game by his standards but still had an influence. Weitering was solid.
You're not just whistling Dixie. There are deep divisions, but they were there before Trump and he's just a catalyst. Pop in a pandemic and you have a recipe for disaster. As a group our people are pretty similar... except in the way we pronounce 'castle' and the fact that the only true scallop is a potato slice covered in batter. The USA ,apart from a similar common language, is more like 50 different micro-nations. Add in strong and assertive minorities and it creates a situation we really cant appreciate,
In relation to Biden, my concern is that he gives Trump a chance when in fact he shouldn't have one. The guy will be lucky to last half a term, should he be successful in gaining the top job. He should have been the nominee 4 years ago. Now he should be looking at aged care. The one positive is that unlike Trump he will no doubt have folks around him that will be the ones with the real control. If Biden v Trump is the best they can do they are truly...well you know.
He's got more problems than twitter. They're in 'more trouble than the early explorers' over there with looting and an out of control virus in many areas. Not a lot of social distancing in a mob.
The mental side of things will play a big part in these early games. This will be a preparation unlike any other How has the isolation and somewhat limited monitoring of training affected players? Every individual will have coped with this differently. The teams that can re-gel quickest will have an advantage and game results may be a little wonky for a couple of weeks.
This shouldn't even be a contest. It will be. How Biden is a better choice than many of those Democrats who dropped out defies logic. But 'logic' and 'US politics' seem to be mutually exclusive.
The Dem VP choice will be significant. They're (She's) going to have to take over at some stage.
Any sort of round robin competition would only be to fill some space. It shouldn't and couldn't be deemed a "premiership" for the winner. Play it in that spirit and it would be OK. Players would appreciate a run of sorts even if it was only for a half dozen games then into the off-season with a bit of match practice behind them.
The problem would be the draft. That could possibly be solved by a lottery for positions from 2019. Top half in one pool and bottom half in another.
