He's prolly on for a 11/10 this season then as he has gone out an improved the squads weakness in signing a 32 year old aussie, short stint prop with fecked up knees. Pulled off that coup by waiting until all the clubs had concluded their signings for the next term... the best of what's left and all that.

How quickly the blind faith in Hetherington evaporates after a trophyless season

Not all have blind faith in anything, some like to think for themselves. GH has made a few missteps and there's no reason he should be held less accountable than the players or the guy who coaches his squad.

We needed help scoring last season, we need help scoring next season. GH its over to you.

Exactly, and I didn't subscribe to the belief held by some that his decisions can't be questioned because he brought us the one of the most successful Leeds teams ever. For which, of course, I will be forever grateful.

It's just my perception but I reckon the view from the top changed somewhat following Wembley when GH was clearly extremely disappointed with the performance. We've had the (true until 2010) mantra that this side is special and would pull through when it counts. Wembley exposed Leeds' failings, as did Wigan in the last game of the season. It may have just accelerated the need to change things on the field with respect to managing the rejuvenation of the team - bringing forward to next season some changes that may have been planned for 2012.

TBH I don't really blame GH for that. We looked on paper to have a stronger squad than 2009. Most people believed we were in for another big year. As it it, I suspect that GH and Bluey realise that the side needs more than 1 or 2 fresh faces if we are to win something again soon - a more fundamental change to the way we play in both attack and defence.

Unbelievable fact number 558: Leeds scored more points in 2010 than in 2009.

Don't over-analyse it, just accept it.

Even though senior was a year younger we needed help scoring 09 too! Evidence our decline had already started and continued this year? Compare to 2004?

I think it's way too harsh to compare any team to the 04 vintage simply because that was the year when everything clicked and we were just "untouchable" for the most of the season in SL.
I think that was a "one off" season performance wise and although we were close to emulating it in 05 i personally don't think it'd be fair to compare 1 single season to that one.

Hetherington has been in the game long enough, and wise enough, that he should have known before that Wembley game and the Wigan game that changes needed to be made.

It was smacking him right between the eyes.

I think everyone has overlooked the staggering & IMV totally unexpected improvement in Wigan in 2010.
I never imagined that a change of coach would or could produce such a change in the same set of players.
Other than that (& ignoring the extreme disappointment of the cup final) there was little to choose between the other top sides.
Injuries affected us & saints at critical times in the season.
I'll never forget too that without Hetherington (with Caddick's backing) we may not have had a club even to discuss.

From a supporter on the terraces I could accept that so called "unexpected", but not from someone been in the game as long as Hetherington and with the knowledge he has.

Wigan were not that great last year, not at all. Wigan will improve much more next year, because of the additions they have made.

Saints saw that coming and have improved their squad dramatically for next season, that despite matching Wigan all the way this year.

We did not need a poor performance in a cup final and not reaching the GF to see that we needed to make changes. You only had to watch the other 30 games throughout the season to see that.

2009 was a decline was it? Deary me today. TVOC showed your statement was innacurate and you justify it by proclaiming a season topping the table and winning an unprecedented 3rd consecutive GF is a season in decline.

Please extrapolate on this? As chief exec Hetherington presided over a club turning the biggest profit in the league, from the biggest turnover in the league. He secured a very successful coach who had presided over 2 GF wins, provided that coach with a squad that virtually all on here, without the benefit of hindsight, described as the "best", "greatest" or "strongest" ever.

The chief execs Job was done and done very well. It is not his job to interfere with team selection or tactics and nor should it be. So, what would you advocate GH should have done as the season progressed when it "should have been known" that changes needed to be made?

For the 2010 season GH must get a 10 out of 10.

Maybe the quote you did from me should have been on a different thread, I was just commenting to a deviation to the thread. The fact that BR had commented that he thinks the Wembley loss and performance against Wigan may have changed his plans for 2011. Which I was saying, he should have realised it before then.

A chief execs job is not the here and now, its much more than that, it should always include the future as paramount to any decisions. 2011 will show whether Hetherington did his job in 2010.

Your 10 out of 10 should be for 2009.

Lets give GH a bit of credit here. Last year was a poor one but that happens, you cant win every year. But he has looked at what needs doing and has started to address it.

We brought in a batch of taleneted youngsters mid way through the season and have started the clear out early and he hasn't been afraid to either promote from within or go out and buy the best young talent.

Form is temporary and class is permanent - its just what your definition of temporary is

We did?

Clarkson apart, who might they be then?

These are the ratings I think you have got wrong:

McGuire - 10 - The shining light of a long, hard season. I really don't think he could have done any more for the cause.

Senior - 6 - A good outlet in attack but increasingly passive in defence.

Delaney - 5 - Surely we can attract a better centre to fill our overseas quota. Delaney is self admittedly a "defensive centre" when what we need is a strike player in this position.

Burrow - 5 - Gone backwards from previous seasons, a more traditional half-back with a good kicking game could take some pressure of Sinfield and free up McGuire to concentrate on his strengths. I think he is a luxury player and although I've loved watching him over the years I think his best days are behind him. I think we need to have an eye out for someone to take his position.

Bailey - 5 - Dire. Embarassing, I support everyone who pulls on the shirt but Bailey sometimes makes this hard for me.

Ablett - 5 - Clarkson has showed he is better than Ablett already and apart from making other players less paranoid about their own receeding hairlines compared to him I don't think he brings a lot to the team. On a serious note I think we'd be better off developing other talents than sticking with Ablett.

It's pretty much unanimously agreed we need a centre but I think in addition we could do with another second rower and need to keep an eye out for any quality half backs on the market. I'd love to see two new quality centres at Headingley next year but I think we will only get one and have to put up with Delaney and Keith spending time in the second row (where I worry that he is going to struggle).

Go on just say it .... you know you want to.

__________

If point scoring is going to be used as a key indicator then 2005 was the pinnacle (to this point) for Leeds in the SL era with an improbable 1424, when you compare that to Championship winning years of 2004 (1187), 2007 (914), 2008 (1039), 2009 (932) and yet 2005 isn't remembered all that fondly by comparison.

And remember, don't over-analyse it, just accept it.

Not me, I'm too humble. It would be crass to broadcast my greatness. Besides, there's no need. My superior intelligence radiates through each of my posts.

Just too humble. That's my only fault.

We're marking him for 2010 though and not 2011 or 2009.

In 2010 he secured a 1st class coach, on the back of 2 GF wins, gave that coach a squad many on here deemed to be the "Best", "greatest" or "Strongest" of all time. He also presided over a club with the league's highest turnover and profit.

That is why I think he merits a 10 out of 10 for 2010.

Presumably you shared those 'Best, Greatest, Strongest ever' views (I didn't as it happens) as this is your score, rather than a surrogate score, to our great leader?

I wasn't talking about the first team

I'll tell you later.

being

He's probably referring to Stevie Ward et al, from the local amateur clubs. But then this is nothing new. Every club does it every season.