Dupont named head coach

voth26

Well-Known Member
Whilst I'd agree that those changes from the start would have put us closer, I still feel that there's a gap between us and Belfast in terms of capability and consistency. That is what needs addressing.
I'd agree on consistency not so much on capability, seeing as we beat the giants in the League series for example
 

voth26

Well-Known Member
Personally i think it's natural that some fans are excited and some are apprehensive. I'm sure most fans are a bit of both if they're honest. Excited as we've got a new coach that seems motivated and popular in the dressing room and we've got rid (or going to get rid) of possibly one or two bad eggs. But also it's perfectly natural to be slightly concerned when you've got a coach with 5 minutes of coaching experience and it looks like you're bringing back the majority of a 3rd placed team. I don't think either viewpoint is wrong at the moment
Who would be your choice as coach just curious
 

jenks33

Well-Known Member
Who would be your choice as coach just curious
I always had my fingers crossed for Dan Ceman. He’s good mates with Todd and he obviously knows the British game. I’ve since said though that I was impressed by DuPont’s interview and to be fair Todd gave him a few weeks to impress and we went and won the play offs, so he did everything that was asked of him. I’ll be fully behind Dupont now, it’s the roster I’m probably more dubious about.
 

voth26

Well-Known Member
I always had my fingers crossed for Dan Ceman. He’s good mates with Todd and he obviously knows the British game. I’ve since said though that I was impressed by DuPont’s interview and to be fair Todd gave him a few weeks to impress and we went and won the play offs, so he did everything that was asked of him. I’ll be fully behind Dupont now, it’s the roster I’m probably more dubious about.
He was at Dundee yeah?, Be interesting to see who comes and goes and the new faces
 

voth26

Well-Known Member
So what? It's my opinion, though I'll admit I've softened on it after hearing the interviews. I still believe more experience worked have been better but, now here's appointed I will give him a chance. If I am wrong then, I will admit it.
But we had a very experienced coach in Skalde and clearly it didn't work out as the club or Jarrad wanted it to. It doesn't always follow that experience will bring silverware
 

jenks33

Well-Known Member
He was at Dundee yeah?, Be interesting to see who comes and goes and the new faces
Yeah that’s him. Really good player for Sheffield and Bracknell back in the day and ended up player coach with Dundee before moving abroad. I know a few people were worried that he hasn’t coached in the UK for 10 years but at least he would be familiar with the league title being the main trophy and he would know what type of players/characters that are required for the EIHL. Plus more importantly he’s coached some top European sides since leaving the UK

Anyway, we’ve gone for Dupont and he’ll have my full support.
 
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moggy#9

Well-Known Member
Thread starter #148
But we had a very experienced coach in Skalde and clearly it didn't work out as the club or Jarrad wanted it to. It doesn't always follow that experience will bring silverware
Neither does it follow that someone new will have the success that lord did. Nothing in sport is guaranteed, I suppose that's the point.

In the case of skalde, I don't think that he knew what he was getting into. The format, the culture, officiating, expectations - all of these things would feed into it. This is why I said that I wanted someone who ideally had coaching experience here and in Europe.

Yes Dupont won the play offs, but that tells us very little about how he'd handle a full season. I think that in sport you have to play the percentages as you see them. Todd, who has a far better view off the last year than I do, sees things in a different way to the way I have. That's fine, but let's not pretend it's a given that Dupont will be Andrew lord 2.0.
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
Neither does it follow that someone new will have the success that lord did. Nothing in sport is guaranteed, I suppose that's the point.

In the case of skalde, I don't think that he knew what he was getting into. The format, the culture, officiating, expectations - all of these things would feed into it. This is why I said that I wanted someone who ideally had coaching experience here and in Europe.

Yes Dupont won the play offs, but that tells us very little about how he'd handle a full season. I think that in sport you have to play the percentages as you see them. Todd, who has a far better view off the last year than I do, sees things in a different way to the way I have. That's fine, but let's not pretend it's a given that Dupont will be Andrew lord 2.0.
Which is why l find the whole situation so…….…odd, fans comments have been proven correct, yet the club still rolled the dice on Skalde & expected the same success, really.
I‘m not writing Dupont off, I’m just taking the same approach as l did Skalde, they need time to become successful, yet the club are going down the same route with the same expectations. I just hope 8 months into the season with 6 games left Todd doesn’t decide he can no longer work with the guy……..
 

jenks33

Well-Known Member
Which is why l find the whole situation so…….…odd, fans comments have been proven correct, yet the club still rolled the dice on Skalde & expected the same success, really.
I‘m not writing Dupont off, I’m just taking the same approach as l did Skalde, they need time to become successful, yet the club are going down the same route with the same expectations. I just hope 8 months into the season with 6 games left Todd doesn’t decide he can no longer work with the guy……..
Apologies if I’ve missed something but how are the club going down the same route with the same expectations? Do you think going from Skalde to Dupont is going down the same route, or are you alluding to something else?
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
I‘m comparing their similarities which Moggy has listed and taking those into account, one plus for Dupont is he’s been here a yr, then you’ve got to counter that with Skalde having a vast coaching experience, Dupont hasn’t. Do you believe Dupont is going to produce better results next yr, that’s a massive ask considering the task & calibre of his piers.
 
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jenks33

Well-Known Member
I‘m comparing their similarities which Moggy has listed and taking those into account, one plus for Dupont is he’s been here a yr, then you’ve got to counter that with Skalde having a vast coaching experience, Dupont hasn’t. Do you believe Dupont is going to produce better results next yr, that’s a massive ask considering the task.
It’s clearly a big task for Dupont isn’t it but I suppose all good coaches had to start somewhere. The players seem to like him and he’s motivated so that’s a good base to work from.

A couple of things I would say about Skalde is you’re right he does have a lot of coaching experience but he hadn’t been a head coach at ECHL level for 6/7 seasons. So when people say he possibly didn’t realise the dedication that was required to be a head coach in the EIHL they may have a point. When you haven’t been a head coach at a meaningful level for that long I think it’s possible to forget the hours that you need to put in. Coaching kids and being an assistant coach (which is what he did during those 6 seasons) is a different ball game. Coaching in the OHL and USHS-Prep is purely about development and as an assistant coach with Wilkes-Barre he probably concentrated on one or two areas. Head Coach in the EIHL you’re in charge of the whole on ice operation and it’s not just about development you need to pick up positive results every weekend.
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
It’s clearly a big task for Dupont isn’t it but I suppose all good coaches had to start somewhere. The players seem to like him and he’s motivated so that’s a good base to work from.
It’s the same recipe that was used when the current owners came, will the taste be the same though, can you repeat that.
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
A couple of things I would say about Skalde is you’re right he does have a lot of coaching experience but he hadn’t been a head coach at ECHL level for 6/7 seasons. So when people say he possibly didn’t realise the dedication that was required to be a head coach in the EIHL they may have a point. When you haven’t been a head coach at a meaningful level for that long I think it’s possible to forget the hours that you need to put in. Coaching kids and being an assistant coach (which is what he did during those 6 seasons) is a different ball game. Coaching in the OHL and USHS-Prep is purely about development and as an assistant coach with Wilkes-Barre he probably concentrated on one or two areas. Head Coach in the EIHL you’re in charge of the whole on ice operation and it’s not just about development you need to pick up positive results every weekend.
Which begs the question, from the lots of high calibre coaches wanting to come to Cardiff did we pick Scalde and why after that mistake we want to risk a repeat on someone with similar issues based of a few games.
 

Kevlar68

Well-Known Member
My view on experience of a player or coach really doesn't mean to much.
Your only as good as the players given to you or your style of play.
Skalde didn't set our game on fire to be honest.
Lord wasn't experienced and was better than any experienced coach we've had.
Nothing is certain no matter who we go with.
 

Devil94

Well-Known Member
Which begs the question, from the lots of high calibre coaches wanting to come to Cardiff did we pick Scalde and why after that mistake we want to risk a repeat on someone with similar issues based of a few games.
Repeating with similar issues? What would they be? Dupont is on the complete other end of the spectrum to Skalde in almost every way.

Anybody know where Skalde is now? Where is ‘home’?
Still in Cardiff at the moment, I drove past him last week.
 

jenks33

Well-Known Member
Which begs the question, from the lots of high calibre coaches wanting to come to Cardiff did we pick Scalde and why after that mistake we want to risk a repeat on someone with similar issues based of a few games.
But that’s hindsight isn’t it. It sounded like Skalde blew them away in the interview and he had previous coaching experience in the AHL and ECHL so why wouldn’t they have gone for him? I only mentioned it had been 6 seasons since he coached in the ECHL because his appointment didn’t work out so I’m looking for reasons why it maybe didn’t work. When he was appointed though it looked like a decent pick up.
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
But that’s hindsight isn’t it. It sounded like Skalde blew them away in the interview and he had previous coaching experience in the AHL and ECHL so why wouldn’t they have gone for him? I only mentioned it had been 6 seasons since he coached in the ECHL because his appointment didn’t work out so I’m looking for reasons why it maybe didn’t work. When he was appointed though it looked like a decent pick up.
But you pointed these as issues as to why he failed, so how could they be blown away, you weren’t . How do you know he blew them away in the interview ?
As part of the recruitment process, the coaching issues you’ve indicated, should’ve meant explaining to Skalde the differences, the expectations and basic requirements of a coach in the EIHL. Skalde wasn’t released because of coaching issues though.

Anyway this isn’t about Skalde, so I’ll back out of any further discussion here on the whys and what not of Skaldes departure.
 

moggy#9

Well-Known Member
Thread starter #160
My view on experience of a player or coach really doesn't mean to much.
Your only as good as the players given to you or your style of play.
Skalde didn't set our game on fire to be honest.
Lord wasn't experienced and was better than any experienced coach we've had.
Nothing is certain no matter who we go with.
The thing that was evident with Skalde was that in certain situations he was far more effective than lord was. For instance when we pulled the goalie for an extra attacker, we actually got goals back. Lord was far less effective in those set plays. I think that tactically skalde was very knowledgeable, I think it was his recruitment that failed him. As a result he didn't have the tools to get the job done in our league.

Being popular with the players will only get you so far. I guess time will tell if dupont has a sufficient bag of tricks for the crunch situations.
 
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