I’m sure there are many of you on here better qualified than me to answer the question but a couple of thought to start with.
Obviously injuries and replacement players unsettle the team. Nothing we can do about that except that recruiting a fairly old team probably means more injuries with longer recuperation times.
As I watch I feel there is a clutch of errors that could be put under one heading. Poor decision making.
We often make long risky passes. Long stretch passes to players already marked. More worryingly long cross ice passes that are likely to be intercepted. Tony Hand said in his book that he always had in his head the number of players in front of him and behind him. These passes are often made when we have three players in front. The pass is intercepted and we are not able to mount a good defensive formation.
We have too many offensive zone penalties that kill us. Know when it is worth taking a penalty.
We don’t play the game situation. Example, we have a lead and take risks. Why? Play the game situation. We don’t seem able collectively to make good decisions. We lose leads far too frequently.
The shoot pass conundrum if often wrong. We take the wrong decision meaning we have a low percentage of goals to shots on goal.
I could go on. What do others think?
What’s gone wrong?
Moderator: Mods
Difficult question to answer. I don’t think it’s one thing.
Listening to the interview with Fox with Pete Spencer he suggested that the players have stopped buying in to the way Fox wants them to play. That’s always a dangerous position to be in and can’t really be changed by personnel now the transfer deadline has passed. This is on Fox to fix.
Injuries. Once again we have been unlucky with some bad injuries to key players and that does make a huge difference, no matter how I think it can be used as an excuse. It is just a simple fact.
Recruitment. We’ve recruited an older side which you could argue that experience is key. Hodgman and Ellerby came in with great CV’s. Unfortunately they’ve generally turned out to be ‘has beens’ for me.
As a comparison, Belfast’s two two top points and goal scorers in the whole league are in their mid twenties towards the peak of their careers.
Goaltending. Barry came in unfit and if it wasn’t for Rok we would have been in deep trouble.
Steelers grit. It’s gone at the moment.
No plan B. Reminds me of Gerard Adams tenure. If Plan A wasn’t working we didn’t have a Plan B. I know Fox isn’t keen on the physical side of the game, but we don’t really have someone who can really mix it up to try and change the momentum of the game.
Over to Fox now to see if he can turn it round.
Listening to the interview with Fox with Pete Spencer he suggested that the players have stopped buying in to the way Fox wants them to play. That’s always a dangerous position to be in and can’t really be changed by personnel now the transfer deadline has passed. This is on Fox to fix.
Injuries. Once again we have been unlucky with some bad injuries to key players and that does make a huge difference, no matter how I think it can be used as an excuse. It is just a simple fact.
Recruitment. We’ve recruited an older side which you could argue that experience is key. Hodgman and Ellerby came in with great CV’s. Unfortunately they’ve generally turned out to be ‘has beens’ for me.
As a comparison, Belfast’s two two top points and goal scorers in the whole league are in their mid twenties towards the peak of their careers.
Goaltending. Barry came in unfit and if it wasn’t for Rok we would have been in deep trouble.
Steelers grit. It’s gone at the moment.
No plan B. Reminds me of Gerard Adams tenure. If Plan A wasn’t working we didn’t have a Plan B. I know Fox isn’t keen on the physical side of the game, but we don’t really have someone who can really mix it up to try and change the momentum of the game.
Over to Fox now to see if he can turn it round.
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House_of_Steel
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That summary is spot onsmbmetal wrote: ↑Sun Mar 06, 2022 8:40 pmDifficult question to answer. I don’t think it’s one thing.
Listening to the interview with Fox with Pete Spencer he suggested that the players have stopped buying in to the way Fox wants them to play. That’s always a dangerous position to be in and can’t really be changed by personnel now the transfer deadline has passed. This is on Fox to fix.
Injuries. Once again we have been unlucky with some bad injuries to key players and that does make a huge difference, no matter how I think it can be used as an excuse. It is just a simple fact.
Recruitment. We’ve recruited an older side which you could argue that experience is key. Hodgman and Ellerby came in with great CV’s. Unfortunately they’ve generally turned out to be ‘has beens’ for me.
As a comparison, Belfast’s two two top points and goal scorers in the whole league are in their mid twenties towards the peak of their careers.
Goaltending. Barry came in unfit and if it wasn’t for Rok we would have been in deep trouble.
Steelers grit. It’s gone at the moment.
No plan B. Reminds me of Gerard Adams tenure. If Plan A wasn’t working we didn’t have a Plan B. I know Fox isn’t keen on the physical side of the game, but we don’t really have someone who can really mix it up to try and change the momentum of the game.
Over to Fox now to see if he can turn it round.
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paul johnston
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I'd agree with this. Weren't we running out of steam pre-covid season too?.
Injuries been an issue. ? Unlucky with amount (although I'm sure we've said that in previous seasons too) . Is it the age factor, is it our fitness training??
Looking at injuries too its been the duration of Injuries, and to key players. But I dont like to use that as an excuse.
Usually we pick up gems mid season but for whatever reason we've had new guys in who've done a job without being spectacular. Polak has put up numbers.
I think the biggest overall factor is a vast majority of of retained Corp have almost to a man under-delivered, brits and (mainly) imports.
Most new players have done well with a few exceptions. Barry should never have been signed at his age, after so long off and clearly out of shape.
It's interesting that our two marquee import signings have probably been disappointing. Hodgman and Ellerby. Big reputations and CV,s but they've just been ok.
A lack of plan B is clear. You can't go to plan B when you don't sign players with a different skillset/outlook. Tactically he doesn't look to mix it up. We certainly are missing the traditional fire/never say die attitude.
Usually you would look to retain a big Corp but I see big changes needed in the import forwards and to move on a couple of our vet brits.
We need to look at younger, hungrier imports with a smattering of vet/age mixed in.
Some will argue what the Ddoom and gloom is about but with our resources we should always be challenging near the top.
It will take a miracle (on ice part 2) for us to come through and take the league out of the Giants hands. Will need a massive swing in our performance and effort, along with over confidence and a late downturn in the Giants form.
Injuries been an issue. ? Unlucky with amount (although I'm sure we've said that in previous seasons too) . Is it the age factor, is it our fitness training??
Looking at injuries too its been the duration of Injuries, and to key players. But I dont like to use that as an excuse.
Usually we pick up gems mid season but for whatever reason we've had new guys in who've done a job without being spectacular. Polak has put up numbers.
I think the biggest overall factor is a vast majority of of retained Corp have almost to a man under-delivered, brits and (mainly) imports.
Most new players have done well with a few exceptions. Barry should never have been signed at his age, after so long off and clearly out of shape.
It's interesting that our two marquee import signings have probably been disappointing. Hodgman and Ellerby. Big reputations and CV,s but they've just been ok.
A lack of plan B is clear. You can't go to plan B when you don't sign players with a different skillset/outlook. Tactically he doesn't look to mix it up. We certainly are missing the traditional fire/never say die attitude.
Usually you would look to retain a big Corp but I see big changes needed in the import forwards and to move on a couple of our vet brits.
We need to look at younger, hungrier imports with a smattering of vet/age mixed in.
Some will argue what the Ddoom and gloom is about but with our resources we should always be challenging near the top.
It will take a miracle (on ice part 2) for us to come through and take the league out of the Giants hands. Will need a massive swing in our performance and effort, along with over confidence and a late downturn in the Giants form.
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SteelerBlade
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Don’t think age is too much of an issue as personal fitness is. Duba was as old as Brust and never out his groin out, in fact he was probably the fittest guy on our team. The diagnosis is key, a puck to the face injury is unlucky but it’s the muscular injuries that aren’t from impact that are the ones that need addressing.
Teams know if they can find a way of keeping us off the scoresheet by clogging up the middle and keeping us outside they’ll get plenty of chances to exploit our defensive vulnerabilities which vary from system, forwards & D.
Netminders are only as good as the 5 man unit in front, a good example is Jackson Whistle. Was poor behind our abysmal 18/19 D but now he’s behind a league leading D his stats look much better. Less mistakes and more of his saves will be off outside shots. I think our goaltending is the best since Mustukovs.
Hodgman & Ellerby have had great careers but their career trajectory is only going one way. The other way Látal is doing well in an offensive role after being deployed defensively his whole career.
Teams know if they can find a way of keeping us off the scoresheet by clogging up the middle and keeping us outside they’ll get plenty of chances to exploit our defensive vulnerabilities which vary from system, forwards & D.
Netminders are only as good as the 5 man unit in front, a good example is Jackson Whistle. Was poor behind our abysmal 18/19 D but now he’s behind a league leading D his stats look much better. Less mistakes and more of his saves will be off outside shots. I think our goaltending is the best since Mustukovs.
Hodgman & Ellerby have had great careers but their career trajectory is only going one way. The other way Látal is doing well in an offensive role after being deployed defensively his whole career.
"If you wish for peace prepare for war"
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Sully
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It’s been touched on here and on some other threads too.
Our leaders, not only in terms of points but also in grabbing games by the scruff of the neck are sat in the stands. Cons & Vally are this teams heartbeat and nobody has stepped up in their place from the rest of them.
It’s not about the points, it’s the sheer bloody mindedness of going that extra yard to win when you should have lost. They’re the glue that binds the team together.
Dowd, Eberle and Mosey are the next 2 but the rest don’t have that same zip.
I don’t see anyone else stepping up as they’re all much of a muchnesses.
Our leaders, not only in terms of points but also in grabbing games by the scruff of the neck are sat in the stands. Cons & Vally are this teams heartbeat and nobody has stepped up in their place from the rest of them.
It’s not about the points, it’s the sheer bloody mindedness of going that extra yard to win when you should have lost. They’re the glue that binds the team together.
Dowd, Eberle and Mosey are the next 2 but the rest don’t have that same zip.
I don’t see anyone else stepping up as they’re all much of a muchnesses.
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Ron 25
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I don't know what Fox can do. I'm sure he isn't telling the team to play this way - so that means the players either can't, or won't play his way. The new players I expected to be leaders (Hodgman & Ellerby), just aren't pushing the team. I'm particularly disappointed with Hodgman. We know he has issues with depression, and he has my sympathy. But I'm sure I read somewhere that this would be his last season before retiring, and would have thought he would want to leave on a high.Getting rid of players at this point of the season isn't an option.
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JoeySlats#13
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We've hit a glitch at the wrong time to put it briefly.
Some bad timed injuries to our key players - in losing Vallerand we've lost certainly our best player and as Fox eluded to maybe the league's best player - you take Piccinich or Conway from the Giants or Reid etc. from the Devils and they become a different team to face entirely. I'm not blaming this entirely on injuries but we certainly have been unlucky Connolly, ASD, Vallerand, Todd have all been out / are out / will be out for a good number of games. I think we managed well without some key players for quite a while and often squeaked out results, however, common sense would tell you that the other players filling those gaps would be drained after picking up the load and that's what seems to have happened, we have injuries and we have knocks and players looking low on confidence and steam. I'm glad we have some time before the double header against Giants to regroup hopefully get Vallerand back in and go again for the last push.
Every team has a rocky patch at some point, Belfast may have already had theirs and we are currently in ours - the key is how we respond from this slump that we find ourselves in. Luckily we have enough games against the Giants to fix the recent run. Obviously they have the clear momentum going into this weekends double header but if there was ever a chance to get back on track with a bang this is it.
I think we do seem to have lost our mojo recently the forward group look a shadow of the hard forechecking, possession dominating, chance creating machine that we seemed to have going. I'm hoping that with Vallerand's return and some new lines and maybe a revert back to some previous ones that we can see a return of the performances and results we had been battling so hard for all year.
Also, I would add that we seem to have been taking a lot of penalties (many daft ones that could have easily been avoided) and then our PK hasn't been as reliable as it was previously in the season.
A huge response required from the team is required this week going into the biggest weekend of the season so far and one that will have a huge impact on where the league title will be heading. Just hope the players buy back in to what Fox had them doing before this skid and we can bring it back.
Some bad timed injuries to our key players - in losing Vallerand we've lost certainly our best player and as Fox eluded to maybe the league's best player - you take Piccinich or Conway from the Giants or Reid etc. from the Devils and they become a different team to face entirely. I'm not blaming this entirely on injuries but we certainly have been unlucky Connolly, ASD, Vallerand, Todd have all been out / are out / will be out for a good number of games. I think we managed well without some key players for quite a while and often squeaked out results, however, common sense would tell you that the other players filling those gaps would be drained after picking up the load and that's what seems to have happened, we have injuries and we have knocks and players looking low on confidence and steam. I'm glad we have some time before the double header against Giants to regroup hopefully get Vallerand back in and go again for the last push.
Every team has a rocky patch at some point, Belfast may have already had theirs and we are currently in ours - the key is how we respond from this slump that we find ourselves in. Luckily we have enough games against the Giants to fix the recent run. Obviously they have the clear momentum going into this weekends double header but if there was ever a chance to get back on track with a bang this is it.
I think we do seem to have lost our mojo recently the forward group look a shadow of the hard forechecking, possession dominating, chance creating machine that we seemed to have going. I'm hoping that with Vallerand's return and some new lines and maybe a revert back to some previous ones that we can see a return of the performances and results we had been battling so hard for all year.
Also, I would add that we seem to have been taking a lot of penalties (many daft ones that could have easily been avoided) and then our PK hasn't been as reliable as it was previously in the season.
A huge response required from the team is required this week going into the biggest weekend of the season so far and one that will have a huge impact on where the league title will be heading. Just hope the players buy back in to what Fox had them doing before this skid and we can bring it back.
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Jayboy
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Nothing else is an option at this stage of the season, Fox has all his cards now and it's up to him how to play them... In other words it's now down to fox to make the difference and play a bad hand he was dealt.
Sometimes you get lucky, but if all the setbacks mean your not good enough, then you have to accept that and do the best you can with what you have... Till next time..
The only thing fans can do is trust the coach...
Jayboy
Sometimes you get lucky, but if all the setbacks mean your not good enough, then you have to accept that and do the best you can with what you have... Till next time..
The only thing fans can do is trust the coach...
Jayboy
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paul johnston
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Agree with JoeySlats above.
Unnecessary penalties have definitely been a feature of this team. A lot of pointless offensive zone penalties taken, not "good penalties" eg preventing goal scoring opportunities in our d zone. Needs stamping out. Small details that can all contribute to the big picture and success.
Unnecessary penalties have definitely been a feature of this team. A lot of pointless offensive zone penalties taken, not "good penalties" eg preventing goal scoring opportunities in our d zone. Needs stamping out. Small details that can all contribute to the big picture and success.