Welsh has shown his hand to be a pro active President that is not afraid to make personnel changes that he believes will stabilise and strengthen the Club.
My opinion is that if there is not significant change in the on field performance and that supporters show a lack of support for the team, that Scott will be removed fairly quickly. I would not be surprised if Anzac Day is a very important day in Scott’s immediate career. Certainly if we are 0 & 6 or 1 & 5, and have another 15 goal thumping in that period.
More than 50% chance he gets the job on-going imo. We’ll get a heap of spin (wrapped up as process) and then appoint the guy in the room next door (again)
That’s highly unlikely. Though obviously not impossible.
Remember, we’re a bottom 4-6 team and Welsh said at the AGM ‘it will be a tough year’.
The Club isn’t expecting (privately) they should be making the finals. It knows it’s the most inexperienced and youngest list basically and is battling to condition its squad after a year of injury..
As always, it’s irrational media abd frustrated supporters that are living in a fantasy land where expectations are too lofty abd they feed off one another to create a circus that in reality isn’t really justified.
It should expect to see some signs of progress though, and there are none. There has not been an iota of improvement in any actual footballing aspect of the club (which is, you know, the main reason this dismal entity exists…). Kicking & handballing are atrocious, the forward line is a mess, forward movement is abysmal, team defence is non-existent, basic skills (shepherding, two-way running, tackling) are sub-par, there is absolutely no sign of a gameplan, favoured players are picked with no form. The football we are playing is borderline unwatchable.
He’s brought it on himself. He wasted his first couple of years paddling around with the same plodders that every man & his dog could see weren’t up to it, and accordingly we are now two years behind where we should’ve been.
Is Solomon the rightful replacement though? Well, that is a whole different conversation. Wouldn’t it just about be the most Essendon thing we could do though?
I think @BAAKKEERRRR has virtually nailed most of the on field issues confronting Welsh, but, I feel the deeper issue is the off field impacts.
Assuming we are 0 & 6 or 1 & 5 and we cop our usual belting against the Kennel Dwellers and attendances start dropping off a cliff, like they did at the end of last year, surely the Board has to act.
Blitz is a fairly strong indicator of the thoughts of the Supporter base and it is pretty clear the supporters have nearly run out of patience with Scott & his entourage.
This combined with the adverse Media that will come in a frenzy, should guarantee change. The only thing that could save Scott is the club scapegoating one or 2 Assistants, But, this would only be a short term solution.
As for Solomon, I’m not convinced he is the Heir Apparent, long term. I’m wondering if he will take of a more Mark Williams type role, the power behind the throne, so to speak. I’m also wondering if there is more to Heppell going to Collingwood this year and his retirement from playing……. just a thought?
They all seem to conveniently ignore the fact that Dave went and hunted and begged has-been coaches to apply.
Brad was dragged out of AFL house to apply and only did because he was sick to death of the constant phone calls.
Daves whole play was made because he thought he could get Clakko.
All this makes EFC less and less attractive to apply for and to follow a due diligent process. Our culture is so riddled with short cuts and band aid fixes that it makes everything untenable.
We have the same view now that processes don’t work and the board will be too scared to go through another one because knifes are constantly out.
Clubs an absolute wreck and the only way to move forward is to knuckle down, fix the culture and follow a well tried process of actually running a club and not make knee-jerk reactions.
Holding on to Merrett falls into the same short sighted thinking this club board had been doing for years. It all adds up and we learn nothing from our mistakes because that is the cultural setting of the club.
I am at a loss to work out why these two anti Essendon clowns were chosen to recommend a coach?? Turned out well didn’t it! They would be laughing their socks off now with the State we are in.