Martin Johnson Quits!!

[daveyc2k2]

So Martin Johnson has quit as England RFU coach. Not sure if it's the right thing for England or not, what do you guys think and who do you think should be the new coach?

My money is on either Nick Mallett or Jim Mallinder.

 

[Aztecs27]

I was one of the few that actually gave him a chance. He did a lot of good stuff IMO, but also some questionable stuff. It's probably the right move after the way we spectacularly went out of the World Cup, but the England team won't be right until Rob Andrew kindly bogs off. He's the real hindrance in English Rugby.

 

[AmandaJR]

So Martin Johnson has quit as England RFU coach. Not sure if it's the right thing for England or not, what do you guys think and who do you think should be the new coach?

My money is on either Nick Mallett or Jim Mallinder.

Not sure about who should replace him but do feel he hasn't been what I'd hoped he would as a coach. Great player and amazing leader on the pitch but perhaps he has been too much one of the lads still as there is no doubt that on and off the field discipline hasn't been what it should be with him at the helm.

Jim Mallinder is an awesome coach but as a Saints fan I say leave him where he is !

 

[Snelly]

Shame for Jonno but right that he is gone.

My vote goes to Brian Moore to replace Rob Andrew and Dean Richards as new coach.

Back in reality though, I think that given RA has presided over 3 failed coaches that he appointed, he should do the job himself now, bugger it up and get fired with good riddance.

 

[GB72]

Jim Mallinder would be a good call but the first thing that we need to do is ditch the back room staff. Johnno was not an experienced coah so you have to assume that much of what we saw on the pitch was down to his coaching staff. Perhaps keep the backs coach as from what I hear his opinions were shouted down by all the Tigers old boys but get a fresh perspective on everything else. Next, get an experienced and respected CEO to run the RFU and ditch Rob Andrew.

 

[HotDogAssassin]

the England team won't be right until Rob Andrew kindly bogs off. He's the real hindrance in English Rugby.

Absolutely! Are you a fellow GRFC fan by any chance?

 

[Aztecs27]

Absolutely! Are you a fellow GRFC fan by any chance?

Of course mate! "Adoped" fan really. Always loved Rugby but never really followed a team until I moved to Glos nearly 4 years ago. Try and get to 8 or 10 games a season.

Heartbreaking loss against the Frenchies last week Hopefully we can still pull through the group stages though.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Think Stuart Barnes got it right on SSN just now. Johnson basically got the job off the back of being England Captain and with no track record as a coach. He needs to go away now and work from the bottom up if he is still interesting in coaching. I think he'll actually walk away now and go into media etc.

 

[Deleted member 1418]

No surprise really given the performances at the World Cup, both on and off the pitch! I actually think that the majority of the problems on the playing side were with the coaches (apart from Rowntree) working under him. For too long now England's back play has been too predictable and lacked invention. There isn't a lot wrong with the forwards - where there is some genuine talent - but they need to improve at the breakdown and cut out the stupid infringements. But the problems with the England set-up isn't restricted to the playing side of things. The whole structure of the RFU from the top down needs radical change and needs people who have experience of running big corporations. On the playing side of things, England need someone with the vision to change the entire set-up, from the elite squad right down to the lower levels. The elite squad needs a dedicated team manager to oversee everything, and a group of coaches who all have the same outlook as to how the team should be playing - if that means bringing in non-English coaches then so be it. In terms of playing personnel, we need to bring in all the exciting young talent in the Premiership and give them a long run - win or lose - with the ultimate aim of being genuine contenders for the 2015 RWC. Right , where's that job application!!

 

[User20205]

I can't help feeling that he has been hung out to dry. He worked for an organisation that can't put it's house in order and suffers from real instability at the top. The players have let him down in the respect that they couldn't stay off the pop for the biggest 6 weeks of their careers, they also have developed a bad habit of crumbling when the pressure is on.

That said he had no direct experience to fall back on, and was probably too loyal to certain players, when they were obviously not playing well. He was probably right to go. A bad start to the 6 nations and the pressure would really be on.

In terms of who takes over, I would love to see us nick Robbie Deans from Australia or Wayne Smith. Failing that anyone but Clive Woodward !!

Whoever it is they should look to the future. Strip out the deadwood (coaches & players) and build now for 2015.

 

[jammag]

Interesting you say no Clive Woodward? I done an profile piece on his management and he seems an excellent man manager. Any reason why not to go back to Woodward?

 

[User20205]

Interesting you say no Clive Woodward? I done an profile piece on his management and he seems an excellent man manager. Any reason why not to go back to Woodward?

I'm not sure it would work 2nd time around. It certainly didn't work for the Lions in 2005. I strongly believe that Woodward got lucky with the players he had in 2003.

He has lived on that reputation ever since. I read his book and it struck me as a load of 'management speak' nonsense, and he certainly lost a bit of credibility with the ill conceived Southampton experiment.

Even if he was brought in to oversee the team in some kind of management role I think his ego would lead him to want to directly influence team affairs. It may sound harsh, and it is just my opinion, but I think he has started to believe in his own legend !! Better off with a clean slate and a proper rugby man.

 

[SteveF]

I was sceptical about Martin Johnson when he was appointed but I think the team has come a long way under him and am sad to see him go now. He was never a coach, but was Clive Woodward?, but as a presence and a figurehead for the team he was unique in my mind.

I think his record stands up to scrutiny as well, don't forget that they won the Six Nations last year and only lost 19-12 to the eventual runners up in the World Cup. For me, England should have learned the lessons of this campaign and moved along, maybe snaffled Shaun Edwards from Wales, and built towards 2015 with the same squad of players and essentially the same team of coaches. We are in danger of making a horlicks of the next WC already, and that will be played here.

Who next? How about Graham Henry? Over here with the Baa Baa's at the moment and available for interview...

 

[Monty_Brown]

In the meantime Shaun Edwards, acknowledged as one of the best defensive coaches in the business, signs a new 4-year contract with wales

QUOTE:

"Wales were the only ones to make me a concrete offer," said Edwards. " There was paper talk linking me to England but I did not hear from them."

The England set-up still painfully slow at making decisions or being decisive, misses yet another opportunity.

 

[Tiger]

There was only one Clive Woodward. I use the past tense because his time has come and gone. Woodward's success boiled down quite simply to meticulous preparation, a fantastic crop of players and reinventing professional rugby. He was a detail man a forward thinker in a backward thinking sport. The tight shirts that are now standard: Woodward. Changing kit at half time to feel and look fresh: Woodward. Use of technology in managing and developing performance: Woodward. His failure in other areas is simple: he did not have as many margins to take advantage of. With the Lions he didn't have the time, football the players weren't receptive to change, especially coming from an egg catcher, Olympic team I doubt his immense salary could be correlated into any tangible improvement but we'll see. I agree going back to Woodward will not result in progress.

The RFU are naive and have failed to realise that the rest of the world learnt from Woodward and have taken things forward. Instead we have been wedded to the 'Woodward Way' and have clung to his trusted lieutenants. Now Andy Robinson (deputy), Brian Ashton (attack coach) and Martin Johnson (captain) have tried and failed I hope we get a clean break and can start to innovate once again!