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Sheffield 2013


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People are forgetting Jake had a really good 2011 and went from reserve to heat leader in the NL. Maybe, just maybe, something was wrong in 2012, which he will have put right by 2013.

 

He wasn't my 1st choice either, but let's give the lad a bloody chance. Seen plenty of average NL/PL riders step up and do well in PL/EL and there is no reason why Jake shouldn't be the same.

 

He also spent most of 2011 at no 7. He averaged less than 5 last season in the NL.

 

All you have to do is look at some of the others in reserve berths on the PL and their NL averages - Heeps (9.00) Perry (10.00) Lambert (9.00) Morris (9.00) Worrall (9.00) - is he realistically going to beat these lads at Owlerton, never mind away ?

 

I'd say that the criticism isn't of him personally - I certainly wish him well and hope that I have got it wrong - its of the management decision to put a rider with that sort of NL average in the team.

 

I have said before that what Sheffield needed after the disastrous rider choices last season was a side that looked like it would challenge for the play offs to get some of those who deserted the team in droves in 2012 back. Haines was a decent signing, Stead an excellent one. If the next three had been Gathercole, Nielsen and Lambert (or their like) instead of Hall, Koppe & Knight there would have been nothing but optimism. As it is, the only comments on here are apprehensive, defensive or hopeful - when they aren't people saying they will not go, that is.

 

All three are poor choices, and Sheffield Speedway could pay a heavy price for it.

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He also spent most of 2011 at no 7. He averaged less than 5 last season in the NL.

 

All you have to do is look at some of the others in reserve berths on the PL and their NL averages - Heeps (9.00) Perry (10.00) Lambert (9.00) Morris (9.00) Worrall (9.00) - is he realistically going to beat these lads at Owlerton, never mind away ?

 

I'd say that the criticism isn't of him personally - I certainly wish him well and hope that I have got it wrong - its of the management decision to put a rider with that sort of NL average in the team.

 

I have said before that what Sheffield needed after the disastrous rider choices last season was a side that looked like it would challenge for the play offs to get some of those who deserted the team in droves in 2012 back. Haines was a decent signing, Stead an excellent one. If the next three had been Gathercole, Nielsen and Lambert (or their like) instead of Hall, Koppe & Knight there would have been nothing but optimism. As it is, the only comments on here are apprehensive, defensive or hopeful - when they aren't people saying they will not go, that is.

 

All three are poor choices, and Sheffield Speedway could pay a heavy price for it.

Maybe the reason for not going with some one like Nielsen or any of the other major talents is that they are already owned by other clubs, and the thought process is that why give a young rider a chance at Sheffield for season only for that rider to develop and be retained by their parent club the following season. This happened after Ashley Birks rode for Sheffield in 2011 and was then returned to his parent club Scunthorpe, maybe the promotion don't want to get their fingers burnt again.

 

The signing of Koppe is one that does not worry me that much, because the way the team is shaping up I think that he will start the season at reserve and I think that he can hold his own.

 

The Richard Hall signing or likely signing baffles me, but the club seem to have some sort of mental block regarding the lad, but the talk coming from Richard is nothing we have not heard before and I for one don't believe it..

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I think Jake could probably beat all of those riders round Sheffield if he hits fresh air.....trouble is if he doesn't he would finish way behind them. Whenever I've seen him at Lynn has has been very quick in front but struggles big time to pass anybody when he doesn't gate. Hopefully more regular racing at a higher level will see him develop but unfortunately I wouldn't be suprised to see him dropped before June.

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Scunthorpe won the league last year with a starting line up that included Howe, Aarnio and Armstrong. There is plenty of scope for change if needs be,

 

In the last xx number of years when have Sheffield ever made changes to the starting 7 barring injury..

 

That also concerns me I like loyalty but if 2013 starts poorly we stuck with it..

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If we are building a team with changes in mind over the first couple of months we could already be way out of contention for making the play offs. Meaning season over in the first couple of months. I doubt the crowds are going to be healthy in this situation.

 

And why sign a rider who you don't feel confident can last the season and improve. Surely stupid to sign a rider purposely to fail and give us more points to build with a month or two into the season.

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If we are building a team with changes in mind over the first couple of months we could already be way out of contention for making the play offs. Meaning season over in the first couple of months. I doubt the crowds are going to be healthy in this situation.

 

And why sign a rider who you don't feel confident can last the season and improve. Surely stupid to sign a rider purposely to fail and give us more points to build with a month or two into the season.

because that's how you can be champions.... You only have to finish 6th out of 13 these days....ie mid table :(
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Yes your right if your using Scunny last season as an example, yes they made change's mid season and ended up PL champions.

 

But did they bring Tom Armstrong over hoping he would fail so they could re-build?

 

And as someone else has said, mid season changes are not something Sheffield are known for doing anyway.

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Yes your right if your using Scunny last season as an example, yes they made change's mid season and ended up PL champions.

 

But did they bring Tom Armstrong over hoping he would fail so they could re-build?

 

And as someone else has said, mid season changes are not something Sheffield are known for doing anyway.

no... But it can pay to be not very good early doors.
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Yes your right if your using Scunny last season as an example, yes they made change's mid season and ended up PL champions.

 

But did they bring Tom Armstrong over hoping he would fail so they could re-build?

 

And as someone else has said, mid season changes are not something Sheffield are known for doing anyway.

I wouldn't have thought Tom Armstrong was brought in so Scunny could rebuild as the real problem was the poor form then of Aarnio and Toft + losing at home to Sheffield in the league cup the Scunny management new that changes had to be made, the big difference between Sheffield and Scunny is that Rob Godfrey listens to what their supporters want and if changes are needed they are made.
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I was watching through some meetings from the all conquering side of 2000+ and I must admit, When Nigel Pearson was the mic man he certainly got the crowds going, so much atmosphere in the stadium back then. I just think we need a team worth cheering for again, last season was a joke. The team that was put together did not have an out and out clear leader and it showed on the shale.

 

Stead is back, and I am loving that, but what is it with the promotion and Richard Hall ? Hall has stated in the past that his away form is utter rubbish, so whats different now ? why not go with a more direct, exciting team with riders who are hungry and who can actually ride the away circuits ?

 

we need to act fast because there are still a fair few good riders available, lets snap them up and get this team signed sealed and delivered.

 

I;d say that out of the last four or five seasons the only team that was any good was 2011 (parker, ashworth etc..) since then the promo have bumbled, bodged, and thrown together cheapy crappy teams that are so safe and predictable it makes me sick, utter dross, remember the team combined with Cooper, Smethills, Martin ? what a shambles, how on earth did the management think we were going to win anything with that shower of dross ?

 

I went to the Sheffield Scunthorpe match a few months back, and the atmosphere was so dull before the meeting, it was weird, you could honestly hear a rat p!ss on cotton it was that quiet.

 

Lets hope the rest of the team building is a success.

 

One man does not make a team, and if the team building continues to go the way it is, then we are heading for a butt whooping next season.

 

I am sorry about the negativity posts, but i am a very passionate tigers fan and it pains me to see a club like sheffield with the facilities and the fastest track in Britain, serve up such safe, dross, dull same old same old teams year in year out.

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how about this out of who Is left?

 

1. Stead - 9.58

2. Damien Koppe -5.00

3. Linus Eklof - 6.24

4. Joe Haines - 5.04

5. Ryan Fisher - 8.78

6. Todd Kurtz - 4.38

7. Jake Knight - 3.00

 

3 solid heat leaders, Joe Haines will improve and Kurtz is a solid reserve. The problem is the likelihood Koppe would drop to reserve and Kurtz to the main body. Hopefully by that time Koppe will have more confidence etc.

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remember the team combined with Cooper, Smethills, Martin ? what a shambles, how on earth did the management think we were going to win anything with that shower of dross ?

 

Cooper? Dross? Really?

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http://m.thestar.co.uk/sport/speedway/speedway-american-wells-could-end-up-back-on-track-1-5210689

 

This signing I would be happy with, showed great improvement at home but was very consistent away, if we could just manage to get out of the Hall deal and go for someone like Taylor Poole who is young and has aspirations to improve and ride at elite and world level, he had a bad injury last season and maybe came back to soon a little like Joe and Adam Roynon but they both proved themselves last season..

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how about this out of who Is left?

 

1. Stead - 9.58

2. Damien Koppe -5.00

3. Linus Eklof - 6.24

4. Joe Haines - 5.04

5. Ryan Fisher - 8.78

6. Todd Kurtz - 4.38

7. Jake Knight - 3.00

 

3 solid heat leaders, Joe Haines will improve and Kurtz is a solid reserve. The problem is the likelihood Koppe would drop to reserve and Kurtz to the main body. Hopefully by that time Koppe will have more confidence etc.

 

Doesn't Eklof ride in Sweden on Thursdays?

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