What happens now!

[steeler pete]

I think Aaron Fox is a decent bloke with integrity and he's committed to the club. That said no-one is perfect and people do make mistakes. In recruitment you try to get it right and you hope it works out but sometimes it doesn't. I think it was fairly obvious from the start that this group of players wasn't going to gel like the winning team did. The Pu situation was different but Seitz and Gentile weren't right and unsettling as it may be I think it's good that moved on albeit that Gentile instigated it himself. Neilson didn't deserve the opportunity he was given IMO he should have shown more respect.

I know Fox recruited them but they accepted the challenge of playing for us knowing it was going to involve hard work and criticism if it don't go well and in any team you have to work for your place and I don't think they were that committed. I see Heard's recruitment as an attempt to correct early issues in recruitment but it's been mixed in success as he's not performing consistently. Watling was always hopeful and we need to give Richie a chance but it may be too hopeful and too late.

Changing the lines seems to have been an attempt to find the best fit but it's not worked and it was a mistake was to carry on trying. I agree with others this is has become too unsettling for the players.

I agree our forwards (apart from Balmas) are misfiring and I also think their skillset is limited. It's no good getting up this ice quickly if there's no end product or dumping and chasing if they can't grind out possession. I don't want to be bored to death but I also don't want to see us humiliated by being wide open and conceding 5,6,7 goals or more.

All in all it's not a good situation and I'd be surprised if there hasn't been discussions before now and maybe that's why Fox is holding back on the bench. If he's been asked to take a different approach and the players are supposed to be sorting themselves out more that's not working either on the showing of the last 2 games.

Oh dear, I try to be optimistic but its a struggle presently.

[ekt]

Season is over for me now.

I'll keep going because of the ST, you never know there might be a sudden upturn but I think it's highly unlikely.

It's been hard to watch since before Christmas but the writing was on the wall before then, we just managed to put in an occasional performance.

None of this years new intake stand out to me, maybe Harper (sometimes) maybe Jasper, the rest are average..

I don't know if it's me finally getting bored with hockey or years of Foxes style of hockey has worn me down.

Still, might win the 50/50 eh?

[mark]

The league may be out of reach but the season certainly is not over, there's a Cup and the playoffs still to go for. If we won both would you still consider the season a failure or is a grand slam the only measure of a successful season for you ?.

[Jayboy]

I am currently torn to be honest.. I love hockey and in a lot of respects my family and I devote our free time and money and in case of this forum, time I haven't always got..
I will be a season ticket for as long has there is a Sheffield Steelers to go and watch.. but I will also feel the same need to have an opinion on what I am watching and writing about week in week out...
I am not liking our hockey at the moment, many of us our not.. but I am undecided on the way forward.. I am not calling for Aaron's job just yet.
Having said that at the end of our current season I think Tony has a massive decision.. The problem i see is that any new man in isn't likely to bring immediate success either.. so some type of transition between Aaron Fox and any new coach would be useful.. other wise I feel Tony will honour his contract..

Jayboy

[paul johnston]

The league may be out of reach but the season certainly is not over, there's a Cup and the playoffs still to go for. If we won both would you still consider the season a failure or is a grand slam the only measure of a successful season for you ?.

Winning either, or both of those, is possible, but highly unlikely unless there is a massive upturn in fortunes. It would make the season more palatable.
However, the league title is the barometer in the EIHL, so being likely out of contention by early January is a massive failure.
As Jay says later in this thread, it's not even the lack of wins, it's the lack of enjoyable hockey to watch.

[ekt]

The league may be out of reach but the season certainly is not over, there's a Cup and the playoffs still to go for. If we won both would you still consider the season a failure or is a grand slam the only measure of a successful season for you ?.

The league means much more to me than the challenge cup or even the playoffs.

I still remember being knocked out of the playoffs at ice sheffield by Hull no less, that was also a year when the fans started booing the team.

What do you think our chances are against Nottingham over 2 legs to get to the challenge cup final, I'm very doubtful.

I'd like to be proved wrong, from what I've seen by being at every home game and watching a fair few webcasts for away fixtures, I don't think we going to win anything this year.

It would be more palatable if it was entertaining but it's not even that.

We are heading for 5th place, behind Manchester.

[steeler pete]

The season is not over but I’m struggling to see us achieving anything just from what I saw prior to the away spell and from our results and Fox’s interviews whilst away.

I’m hoping for some improvement but ..

[Jayboy]

I think Fox has one way of coaching and playing and is not willing to deviate... This of course is fine when you're sweeping up all in front of you like in our Grand Slam season...
The biggest issue the fans have is the inability or refusal to change his game plan to adapt to the teams that work out his style and tactics..
In the words of Ndamukong Suh (NFL Reference) he is good, but he just hasn't got that secret sauce!

Jayboy

[Bryan]

I am currently torn to be honest.. I love hockey and in a lot of respects my family and I devote our free time and money and in case of this forum, time I haven't always got..
I will be a season ticket for as long has there is a Sheffield Steelers to go and watch.. but I will also feel the same need to have an opinion on what I am watching and writing about week in week out...
I am not liking our hockey at the moment, many of us our not.. but I am undecided on the way forward.. I am not calling for Aaron's job just yet.
Having said that at the end of our current season I think Tony has a massive decision.. The problem i see is that any new man in isn't likely to bring immediate success either.. so some type of transition between Aaron Fox and any new coach would be useful.. other wise I feel Tony will honour his contract..

Jayboy

Sums up the situation perfectly

[MLL79]

The league may be out of reach but the season certainly is not over, there's a Cup and the playoffs still to go for. If we won both would you still consider the season a failure or is a grand slam the only measure of a successful season for you ?.

I think it’s really important we don’t lose sight of this.

It’s not an inconceivable scenario that Watling and Ritchie come into their own, Dowd back in the lineup, and Tansey back on D to help shore things up (and free Cormier up to roam/menace) - could generate some different outcomes. That first ten minutes in the first Belfast game showed what a potential playoff team we could be if everyone is going for it.

I think there would be a lot of mixed feelings if (and let’s hope it does ) CC and Playoff were to happen, mostly happy though, and I think I for one would feel as though the season had been rescued for sure. Perhaps more than rescued at this point.

Tangibly you’d have to say it would be a successful (if roller coaster lol) season, but wouldn’t feel quite right somehow maybe? (Particularly if we finish any lower than 4th in the league - although caveat that with also not losing sight of how close the points are).