I’m reading some comments on here saying that PR needs a couple of seasons to adjust to the style of the league and team.
I’ve just looked at his previous teams he’s coached in the league and he knows what the style of the eihl is. He’s coached Fitzgerald, brought springer to the league Nickerson to Mk, Josh gratton. So these comments to me are just excuses
I don’t think it’s that Russell needs to learn the league. But I think he has to have time to assemble the correct roster. Just swapping the coach and starting again every year is a rinse and repeat. You gain no momentum or direction.
I think Russell will be learning a lot about these players. Information he didn’t have when he signed them. He’ll already be building opinions on if they are championship players or not. I think he’s a coach capable of making the tough decisions.
Let’s be perfectly frank here Lordo got immensely lucky whilst here with the Devils as well as doing great things. In that initial roster he picked up players that went on the be league MVP players and also liked it enough here to stick around for a longer period. He then just needed to assemble a good enough supporting roster around them.
Currently this roster is a good supporting cast but they do not have the X factor MVP guy to take them next level. Steelers have picked up a couple but it’s taken Fox multiple years to do so. I think Russell has to have the opportunity to work this process through.
The key as concerns Russell is if he has the tactics and game plans in his locker to get the best out of those players and get them producing. He’s done it at levels above the EIHL so again I think you have to give him time to get these implemented and executed.
There are players capable of a lot more than what they are currently giving. I’m not one to throw the coach under the bus as it removes accountability from those players. As mentioned by others what drives me nuts is seeing a team look all depressed and sorry for themselves stood there at the end of the game just waiting to run of to the changing room. You had your chance. What I want is a team who looks so angry with themselves they want to play a full 60 mins right there and then to put it right. I don’t even want any of them gassed. I want them back out there with a self administered rocket up their hoop ready to take Steelers winning record and tear it apart.