This team
- Thread starter Wannabe2
- Start date
Couldn't agree more. It's obvious major surgery is needed on the team, and a new coaching set up - but this club now seems to settle for second best (or fourth best even!). Where’s the drive to win the league and be the best team in the EIHL gone? We're miles behind, on and off the ice. All we seem to want to do is flog merchandise and cheap tat, while not reinvesting in making this team the best it can be. We're a bloody hockey club for goodness sake, and unfortunately a pretty mediocre one at this moment in time. The management of this club needs to up its game dramatically next season.
Regarding the team, I’d only keep the Brits (except Bowns), Martin, Coughler (if he’s fully fit) and Brandt. Cox and Sanford get the scoring plaudits and a free ride on here, but they are defensively very suspect for me and go missing far too often at crucial times. The rest just aren’t up to the job of winning league titles, simple as that. We should be aiming for a much higher calibre of player next year, as we’ve done in the past.
Regarding the team, I’d only keep the Brits (except Bowns), Martin, Coughler (if he’s fully fit) and Brandt. Cox and Sanford get the scoring plaudits and a free ride on here, but they are defensively very suspect for me and go missing far too often at crucial times. The rest just aren’t up to the job of winning league titles, simple as that. We should be aiming for a much higher calibre of player next year, as we’ve done in the past.
Last edited:
As I've said elsewhere, I think that we need to look elsewhere for some of our players next season. Getting them from the echl seems to get us the same flaws. Let's look at Swedes and finns. Players who can skate, pass and don't throw away possession. We also need a coach who can take us behind the north American minor league tactics of dump and watch.
Thread starter
#7
Don’t agree one bit, the owners are on board big time and want to win , Todd is the man to sort this shit out, he ain’t a loser. It’s been a pretty shitty season but we will get there, of that I have no doubt. Big changes, yes big changes, but we will sort it.
Martin - Crawford - Brandt - Pietroniro - Brits (Minus Bowns) We MUST get rid of DuPont and Horn before we do anything
else
I will admit, I was always one of the first to jump to DuPonts defence, but I can no longer do so after being provided with a piss poor product post Continental Cup. I fully believe if this team was under the reigns of a coach who had the slightest clue what he was doing (or could at least run a bastard powerplay) we could of at minimum put up a solid figjt for the league title this season
else
I will admit, I was always one of the first to jump to DuPonts defence, but I can no longer do so after being provided with a piss poor product post Continental Cup. I fully believe if this team was under the reigns of a coach who had the slightest clue what he was doing (or could at least run a bastard powerplay) we could of at minimum put up a solid figjt for the league title this season
Defo need to keep sanford and Cox as they both will be off , we need at least 4 fresh new D and can see 1 of our brit D leaving or not retained ..would keep Crawford just look at his points I know he makes mistakes like all players but if he had a better D or partner he will learn from his mistakes . Just saying, obviously keep brandt and on 3rd line at least. Waller must stay if he wants to along with duggs and Davis,, batch has had a poor season as everyone knows flip of a coin on him staying as with Ritchie, we will see. All ifs and buts in the summer , would love to see belfast get the grand slam as keefe may look at a fresh start elsewhere. Just saying. We can all live in hope.
All I want to know from Todd/owners is where has this team finished against the objectives that were set for DuPont at the start of the season. If the answer is “he hasn’t met any of the objectives” then he has to go. If he survives, that tells you all you need to know about ambition. Mediocrity has been tolerated for too long with this team.
The owners stepped back from here citing something around not liking what they were seeing or reading so I assume they’ll either stay off here or only appear when/if the team returns to winning ways… so I guess we’ll never know the truth around what objectives have been set.
The owners stepped back from here citing something around not liking what they were seeing or reading so I assume they’ll either stay off here or only appear when/if the team returns to winning ways… so I guess we’ll never know the truth around what objectives have been set.
What I found startling this year is that when we hit rock bottom for the third or fourth time in a season, one of our solutions (from the fans) was to look to two way players. Can you imagine the Giants looking at 2 way players to provide some desire and capability that’s lacking in the main squad? Madness! That’s the team we have become. That’s not knocking the fans that’s more to highlight the depths this team have fallen to.
DuPont leave. Rebuild required. I’ll take two seasons in the wilderness whilst this team finds some identity and a way of playing. It’s been dire, boring and embarrassing.
DuPont leave. Rebuild required. I’ll take two seasons in the wilderness whilst this team finds some identity and a way of playing. It’s been dire, boring and embarrassing.
Oldie fans get flamed for looking back at previous incarnations of the Devils.
But on much lower budgets, they entertained and knew what it meant to be a Cardiff Devil, win or lose. Our team had an identity.
For years Adams and Francis recruited players who bought into their systems and played with pride for our badge. Under Lord, a passionate perfectionist, his teams aimed for the highest standard (yes, even in his 'rookie' coach years here) and eventually set the bar in this League.
Sadly, I have seen none of that this season. Joey Martin and our Brits can't be expected to do it on their own.
Get Stephen Dixon back for a start in some sort of coaching capacity (which is what he wanted after retiring as a player)...at least he knows what it takes to play for this Club and inject some pride and passion back into the roster.
But on much lower budgets, they entertained and knew what it meant to be a Cardiff Devil, win or lose. Our team had an identity.
For years Adams and Francis recruited players who bought into their systems and played with pride for our badge. Under Lord, a passionate perfectionist, his teams aimed for the highest standard (yes, even in his 'rookie' coach years here) and eventually set the bar in this League.
Sadly, I have seen none of that this season. Joey Martin and our Brits can't be expected to do it on their own.
Get Stephen Dixon back for a start in some sort of coaching capacity (which is what he wanted after retiring as a player)...at least he knows what it takes to play for this Club and inject some pride and passion back into the roster.
Last edited:
Getting Stephen Dixon back as an assistant coach (to bring some passion) with an experienced technocrat as head coach (to bring the tactics and systems) may be quite an interesting way forward. It sorts is in the immediate future and brings in the succession planning we've lacked. We need our own equivalent of the 70s anfield boot room.
@SteveKing can you answer if the objectives of this season has been met by the devils management
try and give this a go as had some joy last time @SteveKing... have you any thoughts on this seasons performance by the team and management, and has the owners expectancy been met.....
try and give this a go as had some joy last time @SteveKing... have you any thoughts on this seasons performance by the team and management, and has the owners expectancy been met.....
If we take a step back and look at where we are and where we were it's clear that the Covid time knocked us on our butt. We lost key people off and on the ice and we haven't recovered fully yet - we are getting back to where we were off the ice, but with different personnel. I.e. losing Lordo, Fie, and an upheaval on the ice all means that we had to start again in some respects. On the ice, the loss of Lordo, and our core team meant we had to reset. We simply haven't finished that process yet.
But we still have owners who are passionate and committed, a GM/owner in TK who will not be satisfied with being 'also-rans' and with the lease of the arena the opportunity to get back to where we were off the ice. Social media team finding their feet and will put their own stamp on things. This off-season is huge off the ice.
As I said in the other thread it's clear that DuPont got the job because he won the Playoffs and key people on the roster wanted him back. As long as we don't win the Playoffs I think TK will be harder this season and DuPont will be gone. If players won't come back unless DuPont is the coach - then bye. No matter who you are. For me there's a core of this team that are technically good enough, but need to be motivated and disciplined to deliver consistent performances all season. That responsibility is, in part, at the feet of the coaching team.
TK will be in a tough spot if we somehow win the playoffs!
There's plenty of reasons to moan - but I'm confident the club will try and put them right.
But we still have owners who are passionate and committed, a GM/owner in TK who will not be satisfied with being 'also-rans' and with the lease of the arena the opportunity to get back to where we were off the ice. Social media team finding their feet and will put their own stamp on things. This off-season is huge off the ice.
As I said in the other thread it's clear that DuPont got the job because he won the Playoffs and key people on the roster wanted him back. As long as we don't win the Playoffs I think TK will be harder this season and DuPont will be gone. If players won't come back unless DuPont is the coach - then bye. No matter who you are. For me there's a core of this team that are technically good enough, but need to be motivated and disciplined to deliver consistent performances all season. That responsibility is, in part, at the feet of the coaching team.
TK will be in a tough spot if we somehow win the playoffs!
There's plenty of reasons to moan - but I'm confident the club will try and put them right.