What are your feelings in terms of this guy still being in charge next year? I feel like we're a 50/50 shot at making the finals, in which case 100% he stays (even though it could be 9th and bundled out). Even 9th, I feel like there's a dead-set chance he's still here. It scares the f**k out of me.
Regardless of Cappy's performance, I just don't see any point replacing him until a really good replacement can be found. Counterproductive to bring some other potential dud in just on the off chance they are a rare diamond in the rough.
It would be interesting to see how people's perceptions of Cappy are at the end of the season if we play good tough footy from here on in, make the finals, and go deep or win a couple.
Perhaps we can look at coaching in three key elements, maybe in this order of importance:
1. Getting the team playing for each other, 100% effort for 80 minutes, week after week. (attitude/professionalism) -- and yes caveat is player responsibility in this too but no doubt the coach has a major role in facilitating it.
2. Tactics of the team -- the style of footy they play generally, and the adaptability of this style to suit different opposition and different stage/situation of games.
3. Team selection - game 13, bench players, and use of the interchange.
On point 1, Cappy hadn't delivered but may have turned the corner in this regard - at least a noticeable improvement the past month. The final 10 weeks will be telling.
On point 2, I haven't heard too many complaints about the style of footy we have been playing, and at times it has adapted. Generally seems to be okay mix of creativity and structure. (I would like to see us go wider earlier to get out of our defensive zone than banging up the middle so much, and better options at end of attacking sets, though that seems to have improved of late).
On point 3, this is where the Cappy hate is strong. Very strong. And rightly so.
I recall, perhaps wrongly, that the major complaint with Clearly was tactics - we played staid boring football, smothering the warrior's natural creativity. Bomb to Manu did everyone's head in. Not many complained loudly when Clearly was let go. It was only that crazy run to the finals in 2011 and rose tinted glasses of 'making the finals' (but not being a contender) most years that in retrosight or hindspect many wish he had never been let go.
So, the way I see it, if this potentially big improvement in attitude/professionalism continues and there are no major issues with our tactics then are we really stuck with an abysmal coach just because we are all armchair selectors and he is random as f**k on this element, even though it is probably the least important (still important, but just not as much as the other two).
End of the day results matter - and if you fail majorly as a coach in any of those three aspects then your results will be poor. But I would suggest with our roster, okay to good tactics, and plenty of heart we will win more than we lose despite some shit selections and bench use.
Selections and bench use may be improved more easily than the other 2 aspects too.
Sorry for the ramble. To answer the question. At this point in time I would be gutted if McFadden remains our coach in 2017. But come the end of the season, I may well have changed my mind depending on how we perform from here on in. Either way, the worse case to me is replacing him with YET ANOTHER DUD.
