Bmarq04 wrote:No doubt why I can see folks outside of Normal questioning any future success. If I remove myself from any bias towards the situation, it does look like a hell of an uphill battle towards success.
One thing I do want to throw out though....many people seem to talk about how much he underachieved with a great team this year. Although I do view last year as a fail, what in our roster constituted a great team? I'll throw this out to shocker fans since you seem to be the highest in volume of posters.....which of ISUs players would you have taken over your guys? Jackie and Tyler are likely choices, but seriously, who else? ISU was picked second but if you go back and dissect the roster, we had 2 good players and a roster of avg to below avg players. Good, balanced teams beat 2 stars and an avg cast 80%. Nights where Jackie and/or Tyler were neutralized gave us nearly no chance. We needed those two and someone else to step up all the time. But having that other person to step up was a major issue.
Next question, with the cast that was slated to return, what players would you take over nearly all other starters in the league? Who on our roster was gonna be that game changer that led us to victory? Who would you take ahead of your guys?
If I'm nearly every other team I look at this ISU team that coming back as more of a joke. There's debate as to whether Muller blew up the roster or players left on their own. I don't care to get into that, but put yourself in Muller's shoes......most coaches have 3-4 years before their job is extended or cut. You have a roster of players whose strengths don't fit your system and what you think it takes to win at this level. Sure you could tailor a system that you don't believe in to the roster on hand, or you could go out and get what you believe in and try to prove that your way is the right way. If you were in his shoes and knew you had 3-4 years to determine much of the rest of your career, would you tailor something that isn't what you want or would you go all out and do it your way and truly reap and rewards or failures? I would much rather fail my way than to try something I dont believe in and fail with regrets of not being true to myself and how I wanted it.
Not meant to throw any of this at anyone. Just trying to further the discussion and get clarity on why it was believed that last years team was that good and what you would do with the situations I presented. When I look at it that way and take of my biased glasses, I just don't see that much to say Muller was this or that, I just see it as an unproven coach that believes in a system or culture and he wants to do it his way and take responsibility for his success or failure. Next year will be difficult with that many new players but the year after, if there aren't significant sides forward, then I think we'll know the answer
Wilkins was a nice player. Ekey was puzzling to me as he was under-utilized. I believe Ekey was considered as one of the 10 best returning forwards in the league last year. I wouldn't have wanted Hill or Threloff to go.
For those of you that were blinded by optimism last year, how do you feel this year? Are you optimistic because you are a fan (and you should be) or because you are blinded by the press clippings? The guy that hasn't played yet is ALWAYS better than the guy that's playing now. Its natural to look at it that way.
