The game has moved on since noble was a top coach,and judging by his recent track record he hasnt moved along with it.

Radford came from the same coaching stable as Anderson and McDermott, learning thier trade under Noble. Noble is old school, they are the future. Anderson's first full coaching job came after 3 years under Nathan Brown, who he replaced. McDermott admittedly had his time at London, 2 years, but was unseccessful. I think Radford will be a top coach given time and that is what we need, a settled squad and coach growing together.

I'm not sure that the majority of the fans and even the owner share that long-term building vision.

Agreed. From AP's point of view he'll be wanting to make good on his investment in us as soon as he can. I think he's even been quoted before as saying he'll keep making changes until he gets it right?

From the fans point of view, well I think the "jam tomorrow" phase that we've been in for a number of seasons now is wearing thin.

Not sure about Pearson. I think he will give Radford two seasons minimum unless there are a catalogue of disasters that make it impossible for Radford to stay. Pearson has already indicated that in his opinion things are being run a lot better around training/systems etc. than they have been since he took over the club. I think he knows that turning Hull around isn't a 5 game job and provided he can see that the playing side is being run as he wants it to be then time will be afforded to see results improve.

As for fans well there'll always be a spectrum of views

I'd disagree with this.

I actually think SL has gone backwards and the playing quality available to coaches has dropped somewhat from ten years ago. Whether its one reason or another, when we are producing a top quality player it is getting snatched from the League right at there peak to the NRL or Yawnion. Which is having a knock on effect with coaching as most top coaches from Australia will never come over here to work with poor players, hence why we get the assistants.

I think franchising is to blame for this, we took the gamble to lower the standard in our league at the risk of having a successful national team, when in reality they could have just made a few changes to the rules. Franchising was always going to take 10-20 years before we would see positive results.

Two seasons minimum? I would expect it to be two seasons maximum to make us a better team than when he took over and frankly I don't see why he should expect longer than that.

The idea being that he will get at least two seasons. Your two seasons maximum means he could be sacked next week.

If after two seasons he hasn't improved us then he might well expect the chop although I do believe he would walk before then if things were not improving. I don't think he 'expects' anything really - maybe the length of his contract. What was that anyway I genuinely can't remember ?

I believe its a 3 year contract but no doubt someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

I doubt AP would get rid of him at the end of this season (much less during it) but unless there is real progress I would expect there to be a parting of the ways at the end of next season if by then he hasn't improved on what Gentle delivered - and rightly so.

Radford will get this season but if we are struggling to make the top 8 next year I expect Pearson to hold up his hands and say he's made a mistake and get rid.

The only option then is to stay on the coach "merry go round" we've been riding for the last 20 seasons or so. We've more than likely had more coaches than any other team in that time. As I said earlier the knee jerking end of seasons have to stop and besides as I also said who are we going to get. I posed a very serious question that no one has answered.

So we should stick with failure in a vain hope it becomes success?
Can't judge Radford yet, but at the end of the season we can (and should), at the moment he's not doing a great job. We're out of the CC and are incredibly unlikely to trouble the top 4, mediocrity isn't what we want. But it's what we've had for a while now.

We're 8 games into a season, won 3, lost to 3 good teams, after running them very close and lost miserably once (again to a poor team). Gone out of the Cup after a very good entertaining game when the difference between the teams was Chase. You call that failure. A youthful team with additions in the closed season still gelling????? Radford has to take some blame for his team selections, especially in the halves. Vain hope suggests it's misplaced, I think it's far to early to have such a negative attitude and it's that which my posts are trying to combat. The only vain hope I have is that Hull FC fans??? will get behind their team instead of constantly bemoaning what they see as FAILURE!!!

Well said bud.

All a bit sensible that pal! Haha.
3games have been lost whilst scoring same amount of tries. Finding our feet halves wise which granted isn't ideal and without being overly dramatic have we not had an injury crisis? Arundel on the wing with lineham colbon crookes unavailable, Ellis been out carvel paea watts was tuson was yet to even have the option of green
We put a regular close to full strength team out we'll win a lot more than we lose, cos the attack is decent enough with a regular full strength line up the defence will improve too. We was always in my eyes need 8 games + to find best form with new coach and players etc. Way it's panned out that may be longer.
RadFord will unless we implode and have a truly terrible time get this year for sure.

The margin of defeat in the matches we have lost May have been small but the fact is we have got 6 points out of a possible 14. By the time Easter is over it could be 8 points out of a possible 20 if things go badly. However if we can beat Huddersfield, Rovers and London things will be looking much better. What is worrying me is that we haven't yet won 2 consecutive games. We desperately need to find some consistency before we start a long run of away matches in June and July.

The fact that we have lost some games by the narrowest of margins (a drop goal last week for example) shows that we're competing well in my opinion and that things look promising. We have two very tough games coming up with Huddersfield and then the derby and need to make sure that we play with that same competitive intensity. Hopefully that will see us collect some points but nothing is guaranteed.

Straight after that we have a banana skin of a game against London. The London game scares me if I'm honest. We must not go into that game thinking that it will be a walk in the park and that the two points are a given. But I fear we will after the Widnes showing. Hopefully lessons have been learnt.

I have to say Standee, you are the strangest supporter I have come across. Surely following your team is through thick and thin. Hell if you really want to know what stretched loyalty is, try following Grimsby Town.

Don`t forget to keep turning those chestnuts.

I predicted at the start of the season... hull fc will not make the top 8...... the squad is poor, too many overrated individuals coupled with a rookie coach and others way past there best told me we was in for a shocking season....and currently ive been proven right......
I don't buy in to all this, "where nearly there" bollox, simple fact is, we lose ALOT of games, wether it be by 6 points or under is irrelevant..... the reason were poor and the top teams win things is because they WIN games by close margins, and we don't...
our recruitment is awful at times, how many players over the last few years haven't seen out there contracts!!! LYNCH,JOHNSON,MCDONNELL,OBST,SEYMOUR,O'CARROLL to name afew who have been released early.....
losses to widnes at home by 0, I might add is woeful, considering theve only been in the league 3 years....and then getting dumpled out the cup by a team scratched together in 6 months also tells me that were on a downward spiral..
people really need to take there head out of the sand, hull fc are a mediocre/average team, simple as that

You predict that every season

so true

fair play....

although I honestly believe it

Surely you must have seen some areas of improvement after attending matches this season?

GAME, SET AND MATCH TO CCS. Well played that man!!