Paul Ragan to make an announcement about NHL situation

[DevilsPete]

Just before my post gets misconstrued. I'm not saying the Pope thing because I believe it.

I'm asking the question as I have seen it written and alluded too elsewhere, wondering if that was the case of peoples anger?

Apologies for that, didn't mean it to sound like only you who'd done or said it. There are plenty of people on twitter, some who seem to have their own fanbases that are seemingly scared to name Pope, but are quite happy to hint at him being the cause of all the unrest and then take it out on PR.

Those people should perhaps think about directing their anger where it should be going, and perhaps trying to warn PR that he has another moron advising him and its really not going the way he planned or was told it would.

Is this coming from the usual handful of 'charideeeeee' culprits?

Some of them yes. They are mostly stirring up their own followers into a rage against PR. Do they have something to lose by not going for Pope I wonder?

He might not come across in the best way, but I think PR has the best interests of the club at his heart, unfortunately he's got self important egos advising him again and its probably going to take some shit really hitting the fan to make him notice.

 

[Mooney#16]

Have to say I don't see that much wrong with Ragans release. It's his club and he has basically called out his employees for under performing. Happens in the real world on a daily basis. Professional sportsman are just as open to being given a kick up the chuff as everyone else in their daily lives so to call them complacent is acceptable to me. The NHL deals were messy and I can see why PR would break the bank for Biz. He was a revenue cow a also dynamite on the ice. Worth forking out for. With the nhlers gone you then have to recruit a minor leaguer. If there isn't one out there that ticks the boxes then don't waste the cash on just filling a slot. Again fair.

I think Devils fans constantly mistake the Devils place in the market. Devils are small fry. 1600 fans a week is poultry but whilst in that rink the club has nowhere to go. Measured expectations and you won't feel quite so disappointed. Panthers will prob win this year but its taken Neil Black years to get there in the best building in the country but at the same time he's making a pigs trotter of it in Breahead this year also so in some respects be glad of the guy in charge. The club is in a limbo between rinks at present and if success is a couple of seasons away then maybe patience for the time being is what is required not chasing league titles from an untenable position. Have a good go at it but also know when to call it quits and look to the future.

As far as G goes. Is he having his best of years coaching and playing wise. No. Does that throw his position into question. Yes. Does his history at the club earn him the right to ask for time to turn things around. Most definitely. Is Franny letting G down with some in play decisions. Yes. Do they all need to improve. Yes. Would I give them to the play offs to do so. Yes again. Just for gods sake win that thing this year.

 

[KaneDevils]

Have to say I don't see that much wrong with Ragans release. It's his club and he has basically called out his employees for under performing. Happens in the real world on a daily basis. Professional sportsman are just as open to being given a kick up the chuff as everyone else in their daily lives so to call them complacent is acceptable to me. The NHL deals were messy and I can see why PR would break the bank for Biz. He was a revenue cow a also dynamite on the ice. Worth forking out for. With the nhlers gone you then have to recruit a minor leaguer. If there isn't one out there that ticks the boxes then don't waste the cash on just filling a slot. Again fair.

I think Devils fans constantly mistake the Devils place in the market. Devils are small fry. 1600 fans a week is poultry but whilst in that rink the club has nowhere to go. Measured expectations and you won't feel quite so disappointed. Panthers will prob win this year but its taken Neil Black years to get there in the best building in the country but at the same time he's making a pigs trotter of it in Breahead this year also so in some respects be glad of the guy in charge. The club is in a limbo between rinks at present and if success is a couple of seasons away then maybe patience for the time being is what is required not chasing league titles from an untenable position. Have a good go at it but also know when to call it quits and look to the future.

As far as G goes. Is he having his best of years coaching and playing wise. No. Does that throw his position into question. Yes. Does his history at the club earn him the right to ask for time to turn things around. Most definitely. Is Franny letting G down with some in play decisions. Yes. Do they all need to improve. Yes. Would I give them to the pay offs to do so. Yes again. Just for gods sake win that thing this year.

Agree with that, said some of the same myself. What I don't get though is this:
Our owner says he wants better from our coach and players, fair enough. But in doing so it's now rumoured that Brent Pope is trying to manipulate things and is after G's job. Like, where did that come from?
Forget Biznasty thats Bizarre.

 

[Wannabe2]

I think G is a good coach but he is not the best in the league. He has done a great job on player recruitment but does occasionally get out coached tactically as happened against Hull
My other concern with G is that every year it takes us to Christmas to work out the right combination of lines. If we got this right just slightly earlier we would have a least one league trophy by now.
This year the lines have been particularly difficult with the bans, the injuries and the temporary addition of Biz so I have some sympathy.However when Max returns the lines need to settle quickly.
I do feel Ragan is being given a hard time. He gave us Richie and Biz and a pretty good team considering the attendances. I for one hopes that he sticks with the Devils and sees us through to the new rink. We could do a lot worse for an owner.

Out of interest who do you think is the best coach in the league.

 

[august04]

But in doing so it's now rumoured that Brent Pope is trying to manipulate things and is after G's job. Like, where did that come from?
Forget Biznasty thats Bizarre.

All we need then is for SH to return to the club to look after our sponsors! Happy days WD

 

[James]

I assume you mean Simon not Shannon

 

[DevilDom]

Our PP Scoring Percentage is 18.8%, which is the 3rd best in the league.

Don't cloud the issue with hard facts! :lol:

 

[Finny]

Our PP Scoring Percentage is 18.8%, which is the 3rd best in the league.

Don't cloud the issue with hard facts! :lol:

Sorry.

 

[Finny]

As far as G goes. Is he having his best of years coaching and playing wise. No. Does that throw his position into question. Yes. Does his history at the club earn him the right to ask for time to turn things around. Most definitely. Is Franny letting G down with some in play decisions. Yes. Do they all need to improve. Yes. Would I give them to the play offs to do so. Yes again. Just for gods sake win that thing this year.

Are you suggesting that we give G until the playoffs, and if he doesn't win it then we replace him?

 

[Mooney#16]

Down boy. Put the pitch folk down.

Not at all Finny. I'm saying my view as opposed to many is G should now have is eye on the Play Off trophy and ignore the rest. Straighten the team out. The lines. The tactics. Try stuff but make everything about the Play Offs again. The league is done already. Be honest about it. Go for the silverware. I'm saying I give him the rest of the season to get the ship in order and then I want to see something in the Play Offs. They win or lose unlucky I can take and I'd respect G for his efforts but if they didn't show up then as with any walk of life the spotlight would then turn on G.

 

[Mooney#16]

Have to say I don't see that much wrong with Ragans release. It's his club and he has basically called out his employees for under performing. Happens in the real world on a daily basis. Professional sportsman are just as open to being given a kick up the chuff as everyone else in their daily lives so to call them complacent is acceptable to me. The NHL deals were messy and I can see why PR would break the bank for Biz. He was a revenue cow a also dynamite on the ice. Worth forking out for. With the nhlers gone you then have to recruit a minor leaguer. If there isn't one out there that ticks the boxes then don't waste the cash on just filling a slot. Again fair.

I think Devils fans constantly mistake the Devils place in the market. Devils are small fry. 1600 fans a week is poultry but whilst in that rink the club has nowhere to go. Measured expectations and you won't feel quite so disappointed. Panthers will prob win this year but its taken Neil Black years to get there in the best building in the country but at the same time he's making a pigs trotter of it in Breahead this year also so in some respects be glad of the guy in charge. The club is in a limbo between rinks at present and if success is a couple of seasons away then maybe patience for the time being is what is required not chasing league titles from an untenable position. Have a good go at it but also know when to call it quits and look to the future.

As far as G goes. Is he having his best of years coaching and playing wise. No. Does that throw his position into question. Yes. Does his history at the club earn him the right to ask for time to turn things around. Most definitely. Is Franny letting G down with some in play decisions. Yes. Do they all need to improve. Yes. Would I give them to the pay offs to do so. Yes again. Just for gods sake win that thing this year.

Agree with that, said some of the same myself. What I don't get though is this:
Our owner says he wants better from our coach and players, fair enough. But in doing so it's now rumoured that Brent Pope is trying to manipulate things and is after G's job. Like, where did that come from?
Forget Biznasty thats Bizarre.

That rumour has been about for years. It's just kind of a natural one given G and Brent's positioning. I think it would be fair for Ragan to seek Brent's council on matters given his knowledge but I also think without knowing in detail facts unfair for this to turn into Brent stabbing G in back. G is player coach. Brent can't perform that role. Facts rather pee on the bonfire somewhat. Everyone loves a good conspiracy though. Brent Pope killed JFK is last one I heard. Ragan was the brains behind it though.

 

[Wannabe2]

I dont know how we are underachieving myself, the only teams above us are the Arena teams with much bigger budgets, they dont have to play short whilst carrying spare imports, and can bring players in when ever they like. They have most of the top Brits playing in the UK in there squad, we are in top position amongst the rink teams, i have been informed that our budget is between 5th and 6th in the league, so surely we are where we should be if not higher. Could we have won games that we have lost yes, have we won games that we should have lost yes, Steelers 50/50 was 8k the other week with the club earning 4k of it, thats probably 8 tidy imports wages paid by the 50/50, how on earth do you compete with that, Panthers have signed approx 76 imports this season, and the Giants well they do what ever they want to do. We also have the only Player coach in the top 5 teams, Neilson being neither. Has G made mistakes yes, would he hold his hands up and admit that i think yes, if he was perfect he wouldnt be coaching in this league. These are very frustrating times at the moment, and we as a club havent been able to play with a full squad for yonks, and that tells at the end of the day. Would i personnally swop G with any other coach in the UK, myself no way this man bleeds red, its tough at the moment, but when the going gets tough aint the tough supposed to get going, that doesnt mean working against each other. Underachieving not for me we aint.
HAPPY HOCKEY DAYS

 

[voth26]

Our PP Scoring Percentage is 18.8%, which is the 3rd best in the league.

Really!!! that seems really low im surprised by that to be honest

 

[KaneDevils]

Our PP Scoring Percentage is 18.8%, which is the 3rd best in the league.

Funny aint it. Sift through MNL over the last 2 or 3 seasons and you get a recurring comment. " PP awful as always". I'm usually left bored and frustrated after most 5 on 4's. Out of interest, what percentage of PP goals were scored whilst we had Biz?

 

[osh]

Wow, just arrived in foreign lands and am amazed at some of the responses! I for one am glad PR has made this announcement as is his right as the owner of the club. I haven't always been an admirer of his, but I do respect him not only for having his say, but also for backing us in the way he has, it would have been easy to walk away but he hasn't. And do you know why he hasn't walked away? Because, just like the rest of us, he is also a fan! I'm not commenting on finances and who and why we have been able to bring in, that's a matter between him and G.

I do however agree with certain comments regarding G"s performance as a coach. As someone has already stated, he's almost bullet proof and anything said against him results in those who make such comments as not being a fan etc. Well, G is into his 4th year of the so called '3 year period' that he said would be needed to bring in trophies to the club, well we aren't over run with trophies are we? I give G as much credit for recruiting as others, if the team doesn't perform, the coach has to do something about it. Tactically, we have always been a poor side on pp and maybe if we don't make the play offs and give a good showing, it could be time for G - nice guy, loves Cardiff - to move on!

 

[voth26]

We are at the moment and have been for the last 6yrs with the exception of 2yrs ago a 4th place team, given the crap rink/ice we have, crowd attendance these have a bearing on G's budget, Im not a massive fan of ragans but i understand and in some ways respect, and sympaythise with him on the decisions he has to make sometimes i feel he shoots himself in the foot the way he does it,but we are a business and he has kept us going for the last 3yrs he's been on board. you can continue to throw money at a business which is the easy option when things arent right, the answer is finding why it's for want of better words failing. The answer is the on-ice product is not what it should be for what ever reason be it coaching, players attitude/commitment etc it has to be stripped down to basics and overhauled and rebuilt i believe G is the guy to do just that but it has to be addressed now, hopefully G and the players and paul read or are aware of comments posted on here to understand how we as fans feel at the end of the day we ALL want whats best for the CARDIFF DEVILS FAMILY, and I for one want to continue to bring my grandson to hockey nights in cardiff for years to come

 

[nmase20]

I for one am massively let down by Ragan and have been willing to give him the benefit of the doubt up until now. im sick and tired of being told one thing and then the complete opposite happening.
we were told if the lockout ended they would look at bringing in a new player. the lockout ends and what happens... no new player! I don't believe biz ever intended on returning and I dont believe PR ever intended on it happening either. if we cant afford to bring in a replacement then we clearly couldn't afford to have biz return.

 

[Finny]

Well, G is into his 4th year of the so called '3 year period' that he said would be needed to bring in trophies to the club,..

I don't remember him saying this?
Only person I can remember mentioning a 3 year period was Matt Burge. And he never even made it to the 3rd year!

 

[Wannabe2]

I have never heard G say that either to be fair. Dont think a coach would .

 

[ASHIPP]

We are at the moment and have been for the last 6yrs with the exception of 2yrs ago a 4th place team, given the crap rink/ice we have, crowd attendance these have a bearing on G's budget, Im not a massive fan of ragans but i understand and in some ways respect, and sympaythise with him on the decisions he has to make sometimes i feel he shoots himself in the foot the way he does it,but we are a business and he has kept us going for the last 3yrs he's been on board. you can continue to throw money at a business which is the easy option when things arent right, the answer is finding why it's for want of better words failing. The answer is the on-ice product is not what it should be for what ever reason be it coaching, players attitude/commitment etc it has to be stripped down to basics and overhauled and rebuilt i believe G is the guy to do just that but it has to be addressed now, hopefully G and the players and paul read or are aware of comments posted on here to understand how we as fans feel at the end of the day we ALL want whats best for the CARDIFF DEVILS FAMILY, and I for one want to continue to bring my grandson to hockey nights in cardiff for years to come

Best post so far on this subject.