We're gonna train better, harder, longer.

[35forever]

Oh that’s clever scribe!
So your concept of rational argument is to cast aspersions on the mental state of those with whom you disagree? Pure genius! I've never seen anything like that! You sure put me in my place!

But wait... The bit about why Buckley is a good coach, and examples of clever tactical and strategic moves he's made...

I guess you forgot coz you spent all that time answering questions I didn't ask.

Once again I find myself in the unfair position of having a battle of wits with an unarmed man. It's really not terribly fair. Show me the post where I call for Malthouses return, or where I bagged him when he wasn’t doing so well.

Another big problem is the refusal to believe the absolute truth. Shaw & Thomas wanted to stay, and Collingwood lied about it. Heater said as much in an interview, and Daisy said it ad nauseam. Still you'll find out just how good he is over the next couple of years.
Each & every one of your points are easily hit for six, but I'll have to wait as it's 4 AM & I need my beauty sleep, don't go away now!!

[35forever]

dp

[Skids]

[Scribe]

[RudeBoy]

I really wish Nicksters would simply state their opinion - whatever it is - without feeling the need to denigrate others.

[Scribe]

What's your opinion Rudeboy?

[Lazza]

[35forever]

Morning!
Now what was I doing? Oh that's right, shredding your worthless arguments...

Firstly, in all that babble there was one line about Buckley's great coaching moments, and it didn't include any! OK, I'll even GIVE you a couple to start with. Moving H to the wing and swinging Reid up forward, there yo go, two good ideas which worked, unfortunately he didn't persist with the former, and the latter only works when Reedy takes the field. Still 2 good ideas in 2 years does not make a coach, and Eade could have supplied those two.

First off, Cognitive dissonance, wow! that’s two ten dollar words in one sentence! Isn't the internet wonderful!? Unfortunately if you look back through my posts you will find that I have not even suggested getting rid of Buckley or anyone else in the current administration until the last couple of days, hardly likely to be a long held core belief, is it? Anyway, that was a stupid argument and addressing it is stupider, but it brings up a salient point. I have said, time & again since the cluster**k of 2012 that Changing coaches again so soon would not work, as it would reek of desperation. However, after 2 years and no sign of improvement it becomes time to start looking for fresh ideas and getting rid of those who put us in the ridiculous position we find ourselves in.

And don't tell me the majority, even here, thought it was a good idea at the time. Find me an instance in ANY sport, where the most successful coach currently in the game was dumped in favour of an absolute neophyte with ZERO coaching experience. I know people in other countries who don't know anything about Australian Football who are laughing their heads off at this sheer insanity. It will stand as the dumbest thing any club has done as long as our game is played. Even Brisbane's stupidity last year doesn't come close! The sheer havoc this move caused at Collingwood cost us the 2011 flag. I will never be convinced otherwise, and not because it's a core belief, but because no one can show any decent argument to the contrary, apart from "You're nuts", or "nuh-uh!"

But as absolutely shattered as I was at what the board did at the end of 2011, I insisted that Buckley be given a chance, that we had no option but to stand behind him & let him coach. However, he continues to show no talent or capacity for the job, and he & the club continue to make one incredible mistake after another. Decisions are now being made not to improve the club but to cover peoples butts. This has eroded the culture at the club to the point where it is utterly dysfunctional.

Which brings us neatly to the next item, Culture. The word might be overrated and overused, but what it signifies is as old as Footy itself. In short Culture means EVERYTHING which goes on inside a football club. Hardly an unimportant thing. It's about the atmosphere in a club, from boot studder to President. It's about how the players feel taking the field, and it's about how the opposition sees us. 3 years ago that opposition feared us, now they all want to play us, that is unprecedented!

Buckley and those who appointed him have destroyed what was an unbeatable culture. As I've said before, the best place for an outsider to see that culture was and is the videos produced by the players, the "In Black & White" shows. In 2008-2011, those clips were hilarious, full of camaraderie and jest, led by Daisy and Heater. It was apparent that this was a close knit band of brothers who were supremely confident, afraid of no one, and led extremely well. Now there is an air of oppression, of apology, of uncertainty, and it's only getting worse. The confidence is gone, that was obvious on Friday night in the goal kicking.
FIVE goals! From almost thirty shots (21 scoring, several OOB or short). Given that we had two on the board early in the first, that is an absolute nightmare. 3 lousy goals from around 90 minutes of play, it's like 1914!
But it can't be fixed with goal kicking practice. It's a problem we've suffered for many years, and is born of anxiety. It happened under Mick too, but never to this extent. Last year we kicked ourselves out of several games, notably Anzac Day, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, and North Melbourne. It may be something we can never entirely escape simply because the weight of tradition & expectation affects Collingwood players more than others. And lets be very clear, I'm not as miserable about Friday night as many supporters and most of the scribes (not you scribe!). We were clearly better than the 2013 runners up in the first quarter, and should have kicked 6 or more. 6 goals to 2 after the first quarter and the second quarter we saw wouldn't have happened, even if it did we would have only been a couple of goals behind. I've heard all the journos crow about Freo's awesome defense, but it wasn't Freo's defense that killed us, it was our own anxiety & lack of confidence.
Look at the numbers, we WON the clearances, contested possessions, and tackles, most days that would equate to a win, not a 70 point drubbing. (Thank god for Hiney & the recruiting department! While everyone else is screwing the pooch, the master continues to provide us with great players.) What this shows, without doubt, is that the side is good enough. We are still capable of beating anyone at our best, Hawthorn included, I don't believe that, I know it!
But that best is appearing less & less under Buckley. In 2012 we won ten on the trot for the second year running, made the Prelims, and could have played a bigger part in September were it not for injuries & other disasters. That was due to confidence and sheer talent of our list. The next season we were brilliant on occasion, but just couldn't string brilliant performances together. Now it's 2014 and we already look like a basket case. I guarantee you we will have good days, we will beat one or two top sides, maybe Geelong or Hawthorn, but they will be spaced between poor, nervy games where we don't turn up after half time. Go read my posts ye doubters, see if I haven't predicted everything that’s occurred since 2010.

We've now lost 4 games on the trot, when did that last happen? my guess would be 2005.

I don't come here to argue with yobbos, I come here to vent because I bleed Black & White. It kills me to see my beloved Magpies at this low ebb so soon after the best year of Footy I've watched in over 40 years of watching the Black & White so closely. It is very, very clear to me who the blame for this debacle must rest with, and the fact that those very people DON'T accept any part of that blame only proves it.
That's why I want The board, the Coach, the President, & the CEO dumped. Not because of what they've done, but because they continue to do it and blame everyone else. It's all very well to say that players need to do exactly as the coach asks, but the first and most important task of a coach in ANY sport is to get the players behind him, and it can't be done by staying "do it or you're sacked". I've spent so many hours defending Eddie Mcguire against all comers I can't begin to count them, but he now has to go simply because he has no choice these days but to defend his poor decisions, and keep making similar ones. I love the guy, he's been brilliant for us, and probably the one person most responsible for the success of 2010, but like Buckley he won't accept that he made mistakes, and while he remains I believe we will continue our decline.

To quickly address your other points:I agree that Buckley handled the sh*tfight at the start of 2012 admirably, I've said so on several occasions. The fact remains however, that he doesn't understand the mental side of our game, and any modern coach who doesn't understand, address, and nurture his players, both mentally & physically will fail, simples!

It cannot be underestimated! It is the reason why incredibly talented players miss set shots, it is the reason why a team can follow a brilliant win (e.g.: Geelong last year) with a shocking defeat, it is, along with our ridiculous injury rate, the biggest factor in our disappointing performances. We continue to demonstrate our failure to accept that culture and psychology are vital aspects with the decisions we make, I'll give you some examples: Dumping Neon because the All-Australian didn't think he should have his pay cut. Chucking guys like Dids, Jolls, Kraks, like they were old dishrags. Yes, I thought Dids had another season in him, but even if that wasn't the case you simply don't treat champion players like that, it's bloody obvious! It should have been handled with class & dignity, factors sorely lacking at present. Do you think this doesn't affect other blokes in their late 20's? Of COURSE it does! The reaction to Dids' comeback game should have told them that! Treating fans with disdain by lying over & over. They lie about injuries, problems within the club, the dumping of Heater & Daisy, and on it goes. You simply can't do that & expect the players, who know the truth, to perform at an elite level. The disgraceful 'love-fest' at the Copeland last year, where each player was trotted out to swear his undying allegiance to Buckley, at gunpoint if necessary! You're telling players: "Your concerns aren't important to us". Pert describing Daisy as a 'good player early', that was plain mean & petty especially after the way they treated him. I know he wanted to stay, but they offered him peanuts because of an injury they said wouldn't allow him to be the player he was, the player called "the best in the game" by guys like Leigh Matthews. He is only 26 and has done nothing but improve when fit. They knew as well as I did that there was no reason to assume he wouldn't improve. He was hoping for a decent offer all season and had we done so he would have signed long before Carlton made their offer. I believe he's a bargain at that price, but we could have had him for 100K less, a bargain for one of the top ten players in the game, and more to the point, one of the most beloved magpies in many years! Someone the younger players in particular looked up to greatly. They rate that factor as worth ZERO, more proof that they, like you, Scribe don't understand the importance of culture.

It's really simple guys, act NOW or continue to fail. With the current people running the club the premiership window is bolted firmly shut with storm shutters nailed to it. Change things and reinvigorate the culture (I believe enough still remains, for now) and the winow becomes a wide open barn door, with enough room for thirty blokes to stroll through, Side... by...Side!

[Stupied]

TLDR

[Scribe]

wow.. you put that post together quickly.

Reading anyone's life story requires a glass of red - excuse me for a few moments while I open up a bottle.

Thanks for reminding me about the repercussions in having 'arguments' with people on Nick's.

[Scribe]

Right, well, this got out of hand rather quickly. I feel so shredded right now.

I've read your post. Some nice points.

And a lot of complete assumptions, over exaggerations and hopeless ranting - intended to be taken as fact. You're not Caroline Wilson are you? Is that you Caro? It's draining my very soul to consider rebutting all of the 'points' you've made, so I'm not going to. Consider this another 'shredding' for you.

The club HAS acted. Whether you like it or not, Buckley has been extended through to 2016. The club has made a decision, and, like any properly-managed organisation, has given there choice ever chance to succeed.

So, it's for the best that you move on.

[RudeBoy]

Too much information

[Museman]

[ThePieMind]

@35 forever

 I admire  your passion which is clearly evident in your post.
However your basic premise is flawed because it was not possible for MM to continue.

The club negotiated a transitional agreement that got us a flag.
It is clearly and completely illogical to assume that the club could tear up the agreement without legal repercussions in order to allow MM to continue.
It would have been a regrettable development that would have poured scorn on the professionalism of the club.

In hindsight there should have been a clause in the contract giving MM an automatic contract extension in the event that he won a flag over the period.

All your other concerns are purely a function of the loss of experience in the playing list through injury and retirement.ie culture, opponent intimidation,
Fluency, confidence, and team chemistry

To avoid this generational change reappearing we need to build an enduring culture like GEEL and the SWANS have done so successfully, with Leading Teams (LT).  
The inevitable disruption of LT will be worth it and we will benefit from the lessons LT have learnt with other clubs therefore we should be able to do it better.

[Member 7167]

It is interesting to see that Hinkley has significantly increased the training regime for Port Adelaide and as a result they have improved significantly as a team and are the second best team in running out the 4th quarters in the last 12 months.

Tell me, why has the increase in training load been such as positive for Port and such a claimed destructive issue for Collingwood. Are we pushing harder than Port? Are our fitness staff incompetent (both this years and last years)

Sheer speculation would be a factor here would it?

It is easy to look at a result and identify a recent change as the cause. Pure supposition at best and virtually impossible to prove.