Houston vs. RSL [R]

soccerman · 04-24-2006, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clarette

We hid the phone from him so he wouldn't call and yell at the poor random person at the RSL FO, haha.

Perhaps you should just give him Aerick's phone number. He done a real good job of explaining why things are just zipzamzoomzabulously terrific right now.

Aero · 04-24-2006, 04:04 PM

I'm torn on this subject. I have never been a big fan of firing a coach in the middle of the season in any sport. But if they are going to do it, they should do it now rather than later. Make the change now so the team has some time this season to get used to the new coach rather than waiting until things get so bad that nothing can dig us out of the hole.

So, either do it very soon or give Ellinger the rest of the year. Give Ellinger time to see if he can turn it around or give the new coach time to make something of this season. Either way, just make up your mind soon.

I_Believe_In_Kreis · 04-24-2006, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stucki

The team has also been unlucky. Four times this season, the keeper has been beaten only to have a ball cleared off the line.

There's nothing lucky or unlucky about it. Clearance off the line is the result of two things: a hustling defender and a poor finish. These kind of things can be worked on in practice.

People keep wondering about the tactics - I'm more worried about the state of mind on the pitch. From the opening whistle you could tell the effort wasn't there. As Deuce alluded to in his blog, even when we were up 1-0 you already knew we were going to lose. Everyone wants to talk lineups and formations, well, that's all irrelevant when you're forcing turnovers and making quick runs to goal. How do you force turnovers? By forcing a bad decision on the pass. How do you force a bad decision on the pass? By pressuring the ball. How do you pressure the ball? By hustling, which we didn't do! I can't pin this on Ellinger because I'm not in the locker room, but I learned last week that the players we've got are physically able to hustle. Why aren't they giving the same effort every time? IMO their coach isn't preparing them to play.

rabble-rabble · 04-24-2006, 04:19 PM

The more the team continues to lose virtually every road game (17 out of the last 18 since playing in a virtual hurricane in last season’s opener) and losing or tying most home games, the more people that will want to see coaching changes.

As noted above, I’m not to that point yet, but feel that the month of May is pivotal. If the team can pull it together, take advantage of the supportive home crowd (lord we’ve got great soccer fans in this state) and win a few games, then I’ll be in favor of keeping everyone around for the rest of the year as the team develops. But if we finish May having only a few points during the 5 upcoming home matches, I’ll be desiring to see some new personnel in charge of the squad.

I fear that the problem is that the team is too used to losing. Momentum is huge in any sport. If the team can start to win once a while, they will take the pitch with a lot more confidence and some of the bounces and calls may start going in our favor.

Regardless of the long drought, I’ll be there yelling and losing my voice Saturday afternoon. Looks like great weather in the forecast and should be a beautiful afternoon.

I’m Salt Lake til I die!

Aerick · 04-24-2006, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I_Believe_In_Kreis

There's nothing lucky or unlucky about it. Clearance off the line is the result of two things: a hustling defender and a poor finish. These kind of things can be worked on in practice.

People keep wondering about the tactics - I'm more worried about the state of mind on the pitch. From the opening whistle you could tell the effort wasn't there. As Deuce alluded to in his blog, even when we were up 1-0 you already knew we were going to lose. Everyone wants to talk lineups and formations, well, that's all irrelevant when you're forcing turnovers and making quick runs to goal. How do you force turnovers? By forcing a bad decision on the pass. How do you force a bad decision on the pass? By pressuring the ball. How do you pressure the ball? By hustling, which we didn't do! I can't pin this on Ellinger because I'm not in the locker room, but I learned last week that the players we've got are physically able to hustle. Why aren't they giving the same effort every time? IMO their coach isn't preparing them to play.

Dude! You should call Coach E on the Coaches Corner show and systematically ask the hard questions! I'll bet he has practical answers to all of them - after all, he's been coach a long time, and I doubt he's cheated his way through.

Aerick · 04-24-2006, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soccerman

Perhaps you should just give him Aerick's phone number. He done a real good job of explaining why things are just zipzamzoomzabulously terrific right now.

Yeah, I'll talk to him. I'll get him to back away from the ledge and see that it's not so bad. 😁

Praetorian · 04-24-2006, 10:21 PM

All I know is this..... Something smells rotten in Denmark!

Oh yeah... that and we suck.

devNull · 04-24-2006, 11:19 PM

I am really getting sick and tired of the "We just need the ball to bounce our way." and "We were just unlucky, but the effort was there." statements. It isn't bad luck...it is poor concentration, poor preparation, and partial laziness. I see RSL getting beat while they motion to the ref to call a foul. I see VERY weak shots on goal getting cleared off the line. Yes, the team has improved from last year and they should have. The tactics, motivation, and preparation for games hasn't gotten much better in my opinion. I think that the locker room issues have been taken care of and we have better players which translates into feeling better about our performance, but not better results. Last time I checked it is results not effort that matters. I have always bristled at those asking for Ellinger's head, but I am starting to come around to the fact that he just might be the problem. I am willing to give him until the end of May. If we win 2-3 games and tie the rest at home I will be willing to give him a bit more time. If not I think it might just be time to try someone else. Just my two bits...

fuegote · 04-25-2006, 10:53 AM

A couple of great benefits in staying home and working in the yard for twelve hours:
1. it’s amazing how much yard work one can do in a day. I have places I really haven’t touched for two years and now they look immaculate.
2. a lot of thinking can be done it said 12 hours.

Thinking, pondering, contemplating….

What could I be thinking about? World Peace? Solving our National Debt? How to make millions?

The only subject I was able to think about was Real Salt Lake’s piss poor performance on Saturday night and how I sat myself firmly on the “Fire Ellinger” band wagon.

How in the world does a club run a 3-5-2 and not have any play or action from the midfield, the “5” in that formation. Why the long ball every time? If you wanted to hear what the game was like it was a Dynamo attack that was stopped by a great play by Garlick or some stout D by Pope or Torres followed by a long ball to Cunny. Repeat.

Not only is that horrible soccer but it’s boring as well…and frustrating.

Why are we celebrating a goal that wasn’t scored? Where is the RSL player following up the Kreis shot?

Why did we stop playing D when we were ahead? Why did we wait for the official to make the call instead of playing to the whistle? Why didn’t we get a red card for stopping DeRo’s break away?

Why do we think “Lady Luck” runs the show and that she isn’t with us now? A great man once said, “you create your own luck.”

How can I keep showing my face and asking people who aren’t fans to trust me, that soccer is fun to watch if you can’t even say the team they’ll be cheering for will win?

Why would my neighbor get my hopes up? (He knew the score of the game and yet insisted on watching the first half of the match with me. This led me to believe that we probably had a result because, why on earth would you want to watch the first half of the game that your team just lost?)

Why don’t we call Houston the Halloweenos?

I’m pretty upset about the play of our club. We digressed this week. WE FLIPPING DIGRESSED! Where was the improvement we saw the last two matches? We almost stole a result that there’s not way in hell we deserved.

<fuegote backs away from the ledge….for now>

Loyal1 · 04-26-2006, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by devNull

I am really getting sick and tired of the "We just need the ball to bounce our way." and "We were just unlucky, but the effort was there." statements... I have always bristled at those asking for Ellinger's head, but I am starting to come around to the fact that he just might be the problem. I am willing to give him until the end of May.

These are my thoughts too. All the talk about luck and soccer gods, what are we the ancient greeks?

May 27 v. crapids. After that JE turns in his playbook unless RSL is way up the table.