you could get neil kelly

pass on that.

Why don't you just sack Matt the Prat and put Martin Hall back in charge. He's an excellent coach, and I was amazed when you moved him upstairs and replaced him with Calland in the first place. I'd virtually guarantee some vastly improved performances if you put him back in charge.

Yes the only 17 fit, yes we may have struggled to get a win. But we should not have let that many points in!

I have no idea why that happened in the first place. Maybe that's what Martin wanted?

Maybe so. Another post has suggested Neil Kelly. Why not? A guy who has a great track record in the lower leagues. Ok, he didn't have a great time at Leigh but his time there was bizarre to say the least. I'd wager that with the squad of players you have at your disposal you'd be pretty untouchable with a decent coach in charge. Calland's lack of coaching ability was terribly exposed as far back as the middle of last season, why you stuck with him God knows. There are plenty of coaches out there who'd do a far superior job. A lot of people will probably scoff at this suggestion, but you'd do better bringing Peter Roe back to the club!

The dummy half routine was indeed good for half a season and nobody could live with us. We have had some great games since but overall, it is alarmingly clear that we are dangerously one dimensional. As you say tho, with the right coach.....

Well that for me comes down to the coach. I also feel some players are a bit soft these days. The old days I remember Wigan playing something like 6 games in 21 days once and Fax also had a simiular run and very few players missed the games.

Anthony Seibold would be a good choice. Look at what he has got going down in South Wales. Team set up last minute-all bar one is Welsh and yet they sit top of Championship 1. I know him very well and massive student of the game, but will take no but one that players want and respect. Believe Loz Wildbore begged him to sign him as wanted to play under Seibs rather than any other club of which he had offers.

Still unsure as to weather we need a new coach or not, wasnt at todays game so can't pass comment on it.

However, If the Board decide its time for Matt to go, I still wouldn't mind seeing Dave Woods (ex cas and gateshead) come in... Still in the UK I think as well

Aye he was on Radio Leeds doing a charity event. He's still bobbing around the place. And you're right, did wonders with Cas and Thunder.

Only concern with him is that he too is a bit of a "hot head" and has sufferred from allegations of ill discipline at the few UK clubs he has coached. Not for me.

Not sure who the answer would be but think we need a complete break and bring someone in with no previous club links.

Can anybody justify why he should stay?

The majority of fax fans know the seasons over

Martin Crompton from Blackpool,done well there with no money

He's not a bad coach at all. He's just doesn't match to the 'top' coaches like (dare I say it)... Cullen, Karl and Millward.

I think the writing has been on the wall since mid season last season. It was obvious at that point we had no plan B and no idea of retaining posession etc - it's all been mentioned here ad nauseum.

A coach who, and it hurts to use this word, CARES, will go away close season and devise strategies to solve problems. Maybe matt is such a poor coach he can't see where problems lie, or worse, he is too arrogant to admit one. The way fax play this season i suspect it is the latter.

We can rant about the players as much as we want but, speaking as a very well qualified coach, admittedly not rugby league though, it is the coach who formulates game plans, attitudes and team spirit on the training ground. The coach who plays the right players in the right positions, the coach who plans tactics to negate the opposition, the coach who deals with players who cross the line and the coach who protects players who are injured and playing below par. Most importantly, it is the coach that sets the right example at all times.

Ask yourself this - has all the above been on display since mid season last year? If the answer is no there can only be one solution.

I have been a fax fan for many a year and have never called for a coach's head but i think it's time matt packed his bags. He has been given the best squad possible by the board and martin hall and blown it. Even worse, he has made good players worse and clueless - there may be more to this.

Time to change before we self distruct - fax are there for the taking now

Is it true when MC took over MH, he was player coach for Rochdale Mayfield in one of the conference leagues and they came bottom?

Sorry but if we're wanting to win a grand final, we're gonna have to aim a bit higher than the Blackpool coach, no offence.

Lets be honest the BOD aren't going to have the balls to get rid so think we'll be stuck with Calland until its too late. Sad but probably true.

Ian Millward was sat towards the back of the East Stand today and it certainly did not affect his impact on what his team was doing. I was sat just in front of him for much of the second half and what I heard was most instructive. He was constantly talking to his touch-line staff and issuing orders/requests. He was picking up instantly on what Fax were doing by way of tactics or substitutions and directing reactions to them. He was even suggesting at one point that Robbie Paul should try 'going long' on the next set of six, clearly not just leaving his players to have to work out things for themselves. In other words, Millward was directing his forces in a Napoleonic way, trying to leave nothing to chance and seeking ways to gain his men an advantage. If something was slightly amiss or not working as he wanted, he took steps to change things around. When Leigh scored he showed delight and pleasure, no doubt in the fact that his side were doing exactly what he wanted and how he wanted. His involvement in the match both professionally and emotionally was abundantly clear to see.

My conclusion from what I heard and saw is that it is not where the coach might place himself in the ground during the match that matters most but how much he makes himself involved. I don't know what communications Calland has with his touch-line staff, if any, during play so cannot comment on him in that context, but I do consider that Millward, by sitting high up, had a good overview of the field of play and used that constantly to his side's benefit.

To me, after today's experience, Millward is an excellent coach. Calland I'm not sure, but am now less sure than ever before.

PS - why do you think the courier website has gone very quiet?

You don't know your rugby inside & out with that statement.

Martin was a seasoned professional and has turned perennial losers Blackpool into championship 1 contenders, they also won the nines last year.



If I was a director of a club right now, I would give Martin Crompton the job over Matt Calland.

Fax were impressive under Martin Hall, but have not improved under Matt Calland, considering the superior players we have from a few seasons ago under Martin Hall. I couldn't understand why Martin went upstairs. I expect he puts his input in when he can, but now, as it seems, its all falling apart, and won't repair, time for a fresh start.

Paul March will be there or thereabouts coaching wise in the next year or too also, probably with an SL club

Ok yes I agree, maybe give him a look at. But in my opinion there many better coaches suited to the Fax position than he would be.

Trust me if there was any "breaking" news James would have uploaded it. Which tells me nothing has happened. Should have been an emergency board meeting straight after the match in my opinion. If he was going to go it would have happened I reckon.

here's a couple of reasons why he will end up staying.

2 year contract, the club might not be able to buy out the rest of his contract.

another reason is all the best coaches have already been snapped up, so who would we get in.

tactically he needs to improve,
he never really learns from his mistakes he makes as a coach.

got to the grand final last year though, although many will say that was down to the players on the pitch than his coaching ability.

i don't know today was bad and we all know that. i just can't see who we could get that would be better at this stage