Gloucester owner Tom Walkinshaw says there will be no announcement on the changes he plans to make behind the scenes at Kingsholm for up to a fortnight, a situation which will have thousands of Glaws fans worrying more about next season than they already were. If you thought Gloucester's form was frustrating, the close-season is proving even more traumatic for the fans.
The Kingsholm situation is turning into a farce and turning the club into a laughing stock. TW’s end-of-season review after Gloucester’s disappointing end to the campaign has already caused delays which can only have a negative effect on team-building plans for next season – whoever is actually doing the job. But now, TW says there will be no announcement this week because he hasn’t completed his review yet, and there will be no news next week either because he, coach Dean Ryan (right) and assistant Bryan Redpath are all away.
So it’s going to be June before any announcement is made, and that gives the new coaching set-up – or, the old one if remains untouched – little time for recruitment. The good news is that there WILL be changes, TW telling the Citizen: “There will be changes in many areas." He added: “ I have had conversations with Bryan Redpath about his role. I am also having conversations with other coaches.” Those last few words conjure up all sorts of possibilities, but all the evidence does point towards Ryan being the loser. Whether he stays at the club with another role or is paid off remains to be seen, but TW’s announcement adds evidence to the theory that DR’s days are numbered. Not only does this latest delay cause team problems, it also means that fans wondering whether to renew their season tickets are given little guidance to help them make up their minds, and the deadline for renewal isMay 29 – a few days before TW plans to announce his next move. Is it really only a few weeks since Glaws were top of the Premiership table and in the Heineken Cup final? Somehow a situation full of hope has been transformed into one that has many fans tearing their hair out in frustration.
Luckily Bath are in a worse state than Glaws are otherwise it would be massively embarrassing as opposed to just being embarrassing at a local level! Wonder if their coach fancies a change of scene?
I see 4 more Bath players are apparently on a disciplinary. It could have serious ramifications for their squad which is not the biggest in the league to start off with.
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