clyde
Bench Player
Posts: 124 
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Post by clyde on May 9, 2019 10:26:13 GMT
How did Raiders beat Lions? (00:40) Does Eagles Playoff exit make it more likely that there will be a coaching change next season? (08:28) Is Garbelotto leaving Wolves a good or bad thing? (18:14) Who is making it to the O2? (26:20) CLICK HERE TO LISTEN(alternative link) |
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Post by stevetheballer on May 15, 2019 20:10:50 GMT
Just managed to listen to this now. You make some good points about the Eagles coaching position and the way the club is going on the court. I agree that off the court things are going great with the new arena and the Eagles Foundation, we have great crowd support and some of the biggest if not the biggest crowds in the league and the sport is really big in the city.
But now what we don’t have is a great team on the court and I feel that we have always had talented players and strong veteran players but many of those players have now either left and playing elsewhere or have retired. Players like Charles Smith, Joe Chapman, Andy Thomson, Scott Martin etc. We have always been able to win because of those types of players. We still have players like Fletcher, Dafoe, Lasker and Fab who have lots of experience and are proven winners but is this the way that we are going to win now, sadly not.
What we don’t do and have not really done is develop players as you guys have said and this in the long run we need to do. We have a lot of young players that play in the junior programs that need to be nurtured and developed. We have already seen some players coming through in Eddie and Themba but their needs to be more and they need to start playing regularly and being part of the rotation.
I agree that someone like a Marc Stuetal would be a good option, likewise with one of our assistant coaches Ian Macleod who coaches a lot of the young players. I think they would be good at deveolping players and maybe we need to take a step back before taking a step forward.
But would people accept this, would fans give the team a chance to have time to develop, a new coach that would need time and maybe we would finish lower down the league and not win many games but the future would be bright.
It’s a difficult one but I think that Fab, if he is ready to try different things then could be part of developing the team. It’s a tough one and pleased I don’t have to make the decisions.
I agree though that as long as Fab wants to stay he’s got a job forever.
Gonna be an interesting summer.
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tigger
Bench Player
Posts: 125 
Favourite Team: Newcastle Eagles
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Post by tigger on May 15, 2019 20:31:01 GMT
Interesting Pod Cast discussing possibility of changes at Eagles over the summer.
I agree with a lot of what is said, particularly that some succession planning needed in terms of coaching for if/when Fab decides to leave is required. I don't want him to leave (and definitely not without that succession planning), however some new blood on the coaching team could bring new ideas and challenge previous assumptions, creating some growth. As the old saying goes "If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll always get the same results", which at one point was great for Eagles - J Hy, TJ, Charlie Buckets and Bridgey - but things don't remain the same forever.
Would love to see investment in some young British players for development over a three to five year period - and I for one would happily sacrifice winning trophies in the short term for longer term development and strengthening of the team/club. Recent strategy of recruiting proven (but older) British or import British players has not served us well. Having secured some stability for the club in terms of venue, practice, gym area etc and increasing presence in local and sporting community in the North East I am hoping this will lead to planned player development strategy.
To do this effectively I would bring back a core of Fletcher, Defoe, Fab, Lasker and Kyle and would love to see Scott Martin back in an Eagles vest - then look to bring in some younger British players who could benefit from the wealth of experience offered by those named above. Would those players above return to Eagles on that premise......I would like to hope so. But that has to be an individual choice for them in terms of their own personal career choices.
I do disagree with Podcast believing that Eagles fans are unforgiving and would be unhappy at not having any trophies in the trophy cabinet for the next couple of years (we haven't had any for a couple of years now) - I believe that what Eagles fans are unhappy with is members of the team who do not appear to have the desire to win or the commitment to the team, organisation and fans they have come to expect alongside a seemingly lack of evident forward planning and an investment in young (British, if not British and local) players. Though with the priority of securing a basketball specific venue I am sure that player development will be next on the horizon. I expect that most Eagles fans would sacrifice those short term trophies for investment in and development of young British players hungry for success and with a longer term goal in mind. And any trophies would then be a bonus rather than an expectation.
Off court it has been a great couple of years seeing over 10 years of planning coming to fruition in the shape of the ECA, would be great to mirror that planning and investment in the longer term on court now.
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Post by stevetheballer on May 17, 2019 22:27:54 GMT
I would love to see some player development, it’s happening at junior level but I want to see it at senior level and in the senior team, more players coming through and getting on the team. Not just getting on the team and not playing but getting the chance to develop their games.
I want to see British players playing for the Eagles, British players with something to prove and who are hungry. A mix of local players and others we can maybe pick up from elsewhere. Maybe players from the national league who want the chance to play in the BBL, see for example someone like Lewis Champion who played for Northumbria and then went on to play for Bristol this year and had a good season.
Of course keep Fletcher who had another great season and we need his talent and leadership on court. Lasker also brings so much to the team and his experience will help those young players. Darius if he can stay healthy and then Kyle Williams who would benefit after a season under his belt and improved so much as the season went on. Then you have Fab who I don’t think can coach if he’s not playing, but would like to see him play less and I think if he has the right players and believes/trusts them then he will be able too. And then the rest of the team made up of two imports and the rest British players.
Getting back to the coaching again I think Fab has a job as long as he wants one. I could also see a possible future of Ian Macleod, one of the Eagles assistant coaches stepping up into a head coaching role if Fab decides to move on. He has a good record of coaching and developing young players as he coaches at junior level. And maybe recruiting from within instead of bringing a new coach in.
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