Dan’s Not the Man.

[So It Is]

Greg Jones as Head of Academy

[CIMANFOREVER]

At last- BTel/ Bradley questioning where this season is going- potential disaster.
Planet Rugby, Balls IE etc also calling him and Petrie out- quoting Ulster fans on X and Ferris- from "time to go" to "pish AFF."
Caveat- it is PR and Balls- hardly the Times of India....

[Horse15]

Is it time to start up a ‘has McFarland been sacked today?’ thread?

Yesterday was also a very bad day for Soper, our attack started off poorly this year and has just got worse and worse, and I can’t remember the last time an ulster back line looked so toothless. I have a bit of a bad feeling that the ‘reset’ button that Ulster will try to push is to get rid of Petrie and McFarland and just replace with Bryn and Soper, keep everyone else in situ and add some other no-hoper to the ticket that would be classic Ulster and would probably lock in another couple of years of this dross

I think you are dead right in your thinking. Soper is totally unproven and got the job on the back of ‘school cup’ victories. This would be a disaster.

[CIMANFOREVER]

What's H Williams up to?



Thinking back- this shyte has been going from 2007/08: the Lows: McCall going, Williams, yon amateur Steve Nobody, sacking McGlocks after reaching a Heiny final, Cowboys exit after a record run and UR giving away home advantage to Leinster in a wait for it Ulster/ Leinster final... Kiss, the PJ/SO betrayal, Ospreys pre qualifier, numerous record humpings and humiliations under DF, 1 S/f knock out win in dozens of ties since 2012... Did I miss anything?

[Jetstream]

At last- BTel/ Bradley questioning where this season is going- potential disaster.
Planet Rugby, Balls IE etc also calling him and Petrie out- quoting Ulster fans on X and Ferris- from "time to go" to "pish AFF."
Caveat- it is PR and Balls- hardly the Times of India....

I am glad that some of the media are starting to exert a bit of pressure. We can't expect anything from BBC. Gusher wouldn't know who our coach was and Stephen Watson's daddy would stop his son from asking any questions.
Where has Petrie disappeared to? 12 months ago he was tweeting and bleating every day.

[thecrouch]

I know it's said that we can't afford to sack them, but I hope someone is running the numbers on how much it's going to cost us to keep him. Ulster are in a downward spiral. There's certainly going to be no home knockout this year, we're going to finish mid-table.

If it gets any worse, Europe is in danger for next season. How are they going to sell tickets to watch this dross?

And with all this money talk, whose idea was it to tear up a perfectly good grass pitch and spend money on a plastic one? We must be the worst run club in the league.

[CIMANFOREVER]

Another BTel article from Bradley- ref Ulster having no devine right- but highlights our approx 50/50 win ratio since Dec 2022. Ball seems to be gaining momentum. Hume asking for patience from fans...
Apparently there's a small but vociferous and disaffected core

[Neill_M]

Some stats

Winning % (Competitive Games Only)

2018/19 63%
2019/20 58%
2020/21 65%
2021/22 69%
2022/23 58%
2023/24 (so far) 50%

All DMcF games to date 62%

Winning % (All Games inc friendlies)

2018/19 59%
2019/20 58%
2020/21 65%
2021/22 68%
2022/23 60%
2023/24 (so far) 47%

All DMcF games to date 61%

[So It Is]

Another BTel article from Bradley- ref Ulster having no devine right- but highlights our approx 50/50 win ratio since Dec 2022. Ball seems to be gaining momentum. Hume asking for patience from fans...
Apparently there's a small but vociferous and disaffected core

Patience from fans Hume should read the room before he speaks to the media.

We have been playing shocking rugby for a good while now, with the occasional big win when we seem to forget ourselves and go off script, until the follow week when we seemingly revert back to form. We haven't looked like winning anything in about a decade, apart from the 2022 Semi Final near-miss. We have 2 or 3 lads pushing to be a part of the international 23. Our acadmey production in the backs seems to have stalled, while there are finally some prospects coming through in the pack, they either get injured at the wrong time (McCann) or not selected for a few months (Sheridan and Wilson). Some of our top players are playing like drains. Our selection policy is baffling.

Patience from the fans is derived from giving us something to be hopeful about in the not too distant future. I'm not seeing it until a decent head coach and coaching staff is signed up for next season.

[chunky]

I really don't think there is anything to lose giving Dan Soper an opportunity to run the show. Players who played under him at various clubs and schools can't speak highly enough of him as a person, and as a coach, and importantly for such a young squad he coaches a player centric style and the players seem to enjoy their rugby under him. My understanding of Sopers current role is he is almost limited to coaching the attack of the unselected 15 to mimick the attack of that weeks opposition, when it comes to coaching team attack Dan McF is in charge.

It is clear the team and coaches are being totally stifled by McFarland, he's running a dictatorship in there, there doesn't seem to be any enjoyment in playing for Ulster these days - when they burst onto the scene Lowry, Hume, Balacoune, even Stockdale all had that x factor where they would do something unexpected and off the cuff - that's been coached out of them and now it's all totally scripted, the players are terrified to make a mistake - Soper always ran a small playbook with multiple options and focused on decision making and execution.

Regardless of what level they are playing at, how much they are getting paid, if they aren't enjoying the environment then the players won't perform.

This season is down the drain anyway - get rid of McFarland now and let Soper see what he can do between now and May, and while they're at it get Willie Faloon in to coach the defence.

[flatpass]

“My understanding of Sopers current role is he is almost limited to coaching the attack of the unselected 15 to mimick the attack of that weeks opposition, when it comes to coaching team attack Dan McF is in charge.”

Very interesting post. If correct it says it all about DMcF.

[Big-al]

The attack is atrocious, i also don’t believe that above post for one second.

[CIMANFOREVER]

Some stats

Winning % (Competitive Games Only)

2018/19 63%
2019/20 58%
2020/21 65%
2021/22 69%
2022/23 58%
2023/24 (so far) 50%

All DMcF games to date 62%

Winning % (All Games inc friendlies)

2018/19 59%
2019/20 58%
2020/21 65%
2021/22 68%
2022/23 60%
2023/24 (so far) 47%

All DMcF games to date 61%

So about 50/54% win rate since Dec 22 is there or thereabouts. Devil in the detail also around " meaningful fixtures- how does that look ?

[Neill_M]

Some stats

Winning % (Competitive Games Only)

2018/19 63%
2019/20 58%
2020/21 65%
2021/22 69%
2022/23 58%
2023/24 (so far) 50%

All DMcF games to date 62%

Winning % (All Games inc friendlies)

2018/19 59%
2019/20 58%
2020/21 65%
2021/22 68%
2022/23 60%
2023/24 (so far) 47%

All DMcF games to date 61%

So about 50/54% win rate since Dec 22 is there or thereabouts. Devil in the detail also around " meaningful fixtures- how does that look ?

Very rough and open to error BUT I make it 14/27 from Jan 2023 to present in competitive games, so 52%.

[CIMANFOREVER]

Some stats

Winning % (Competitive Games Only)

2018/19 63%
2019/20 58%
2020/21 65%
2021/22 69%
2022/23 58%
2023/24 (so far) 50%

All DMcF games to date 62%

Winning % (All Games inc friendlies)

2018/19 59%
2019/20 58%
2020/21 65%
2021/22 68%
2022/23 60%
2023/24 (so far) 47%

All DMcF games to date 61%

So about 50/54% win rate since Dec 22 is there or thereabouts. Devil in the detail also around " meaningful fixtures- how does that look ?

Very rough and open to error BUT I make it 14/27 from Jan 2023 to present in competitive games, so 52%.

thanks Neill