Right, its time to string a few together.

[MileHigh]

Lets not over-analyse things to much - we all know we won against an undermanned Collingwood side. We were ok, but werent convincing. 4 points however is 4 points.

We've lost 3 matches by a single digit and we find ourselves at 4-4.

Its really simple. Go over and beat Adelaide. And then do it again against West Coast. Travel to Brisbane and get away with a win and we are 7-4. We beat them there last year, we are better this year and we've already beaten them this year. We had them on toast before we lost Jamison and were able to stop them from coming over the top of us which for my money was the best thing ive seen us do this year.

Thats 7-4 and with a bloody strong percentage that puts us right in the mix before we play St Kilda which will be a yard stick test. At that point we would have 3 in a row, confidence up and ready to have a tilt at an in form side.

No fuss, no muss. That should be everyones mindset. Lets not confuse ourselves with the ins and outs. Let the side ride it out (barring injuries), find the click and string a few together.

Yes, easier said than done. But if it was easy then it wouldnt be a good test of where we are at... or we would be Geelong.

Peace.

 

[BlueYoss]

Lets not over-analyse things to much - we all know we won against an undermanned Collingwood side. We were ok, but werent convincing. 4 points however is 4 points.

We've lost 3 matches by a single digit and we find ourselves at 4-4.

Its really simple. Go over and beat Adelaide. And then do it again against West Coast. Travel to Brisbane and get away with a win and we are 7-4. We beat them there last year, we are better this year and we've already beaten them this year. We had them on toast before we lost Jamison and were able to stop them from coming over the top of us which for my money was the best thing ive seen us do this year.

Thats 7-4 and with a bloody strong percentage that puts us right in the mix before we play St Kilda which will be a yard stick test. At that point we would have 3 in a row, confidence up and ready to have a tilt at an in form side.

No fuss, no muss. That should be everyones mindset. Lets not confuse ourselves with the ins and outs. Let the side ride it out (barring injuries), find the click and string a few together.

Yes, easier said than done. But if it was easy then it wouldnt be a good test of where we are at... or we would be Geelong.

Peace.

We haven't beaten Adelaide since Fev kicked that goal with less than a minute to go back in 2004 (incidentally, that was also the last time we won 3 games in a row). Admittedly they are looking as shaky as they ever have in that time, but I have been confident of us breaking their hoodoo in the past and somehow they manage to get over the line (be it on the back of their own work and skill or a lucky rub of the green). We don't generally do well against the teams that flood back (which has been renamed 'zoning' as of this year). Most other teams have seemed to work their way through Adelaide's zone in 1 to 2 quarters, let's hope we can too. McLeod will be playing a Crow record breaking game and leading the team out for indigenous round.

The Brisbane game will be made easier by Merrett and Patful most likely missing with injury. I'd also like to think that it will be Austin's 4th consecutive senior game and he should be finding his feet out there and give us plenty of options for the twin towers.

West Coast on the other hand is a much more formidable opponent than the team we ran all over at Subi last year. Cox will give their mids silver service like Sandi gave the Freo mids and it more than made up for how much our mids outclassed theirs, Fev will have Glass making his life miserable so we will have to continue to use alternative avenues to goal if we are going to get up.

We could and should have 4 wins in a row by the time we meet St Kilda, now all that remains to be seen...

 

[JuddyBuddy]

Just had a look over the stats and we haven't won more than two in row since rounds 11-13 2004. If we really wanna build some confidence and start getting taken seriously this is gonna have to change very soon.

 

[Smell The Glove]

We are statistically clearly the third best team in the AFL. Our % is far superior to any team outside Geel/StK. We have won 4 more quarters of footy than anyone outside Geel/StK. We have (easily) the thrid best attack and marginally the third best defence. Our average losing margin is a heartbreaking 8 points, while our average winning margin is a solid 49 points. Both are bettered by none other than Geel/StK.

But the concerning statistic for me is that we have won more 4th quarters than anyone else (the only one we lost was to the Hawks by a few points). Out time in front % is only 57%, which really doesnt do justice to our efforts. This shows we should have won our matches against Ess/Syd/Frem but got complacent and left it too late.

This week we must make the same statement as we did against the Filth and hammer the Crowbots from the first bounce.

 

[gbatman]

we need to string a few together.

 

[BlueBelle]

Now is the time to beat the teams that have had a hoodoo over us for some time and Adelaide is a perfect place to start (let's forget Sydney).

As BY said, traditionally we have struggled to find a way to beat teams that flood/zone off and despite Adelaide's recent form, we will need to be on our game if we are to take the 4 points.

West Coast won't be as easy as it may seem either. They have been in good touch and like us, have been unlucky in a few games. Looking forward to playing them in Melbourne. IIRC, the last time we played them here was the Wizard Cup GF in 2005.

The trip to Brisbane won't be easy either, however, we will take some confidence into this game because of our come from behind win there late last year, as well as our win over them at TD this year. The key to beating them is making sure their midfield don't get first use of the ball because if Brown & Bradshaw are on, they're tough to beat.

And then comes the Saints. A team that hasn't lost this year and are looking dangerous at the minute, not to mention the fact that we can't beat them! The Bombers worked out a way to stop them - it was just a shame that Essendon's inexperience shone through and they made crucial mistakes both around the ground and infront of goal at crucial times.

If we can get through the first 3 with 4 points each, the boys will take some confidence into the Saints game.

Looking forward to our test over the next month and let's hope we can make it 5 (or more) in a row

 

[Jeremias]

I wouldn't worry too much about creating any streaks of our own.

All I want to see is consistent efforts by our players. Not for a 10 minute period here or there, not for a quarter here or there. For a full 4 quarters.

If we do that, we'll win more games than we lose. I know that I'm simplifying it a lot by saying that, but it is the truth of the matter.

We have looked good in patches in every single game we have played this year. Our problem is that we have dropped our guard for small periods here and there and a few teams have been able to punish us for that to an extent that even if we do get our efforts back to the level that they need to be, it's often a case of too little too late.

If we go into any game with the righ mindset we are a strong chance of coming out of it with the 4 points. Some teams are just flat out better than us and will be able to match us and go above us in some circumstances (St Kilda and Geelong), but the rest of the teams in this league WE CAN BEAT. We just have to believe it.

It's just up to the players to show it. That's not to say to go into any game with any level of complacency, because that can and will, and has, come back to bite us on the arse. But it is saying that we need to show effort and determination for full games.

We can win on the weekend, there is absolutely no doubt about that. But we need to come out from the beginning of the game and be the ones that set the tone for the rest of the game. Let the Crows, and indeed any opposition on the day, know that we have showed up to play and fight for the ball and win. Control the game on our terms, because if we let teams start to believe that they can roll us then their heads will rise as will their belief, and that's when we'll be in trouble.

I want to see us switched on and focused from the first bounce to the final siren come Saturday. Tackle hard, go in for the ball and use some physicality. We no longer are a team that can be pushed over with ease. We just need to show it consistently.

And if we do that, we give ourselves every chance of winning any game on any given day. If we do that, the wins will come. Don't worry about the streaks per se. Worry about the performance on the day - because from that the streaks will eventuate.

 

[Banga19]

With our percentage as good as it is, a few wins in a row now could have us sitting very happily 3rd, with a massive log jam of the other 11 teams (excluding us, St Kilda, Geelong, Richmond and Melbourne), right behind us. Obviously assuming that the middle part of the ladder continues to stay very congested, as we brilliantly tear away from them .

But it would be a very handy time to get a few wins up in row.

 

[jonoman89]

Good finals teams win 3+ games in a row. We haven't since 2004.

If we don't start winning 3 in a row, we'll never play finals. Simple.

 

[Warsaw]

More than just a few. IMO ATM we are the 3rd best team in the league. And maybe that's a bit stiff to others and no one else agress but that's my opinion and the only way that this can transfer to the rest of the league is if we start winning 3 4, 5 games in a row. Right now we could be on a streak of 4 wins till we play the Saints but our form this season would indicate otherwise.

Last year in some ways was frustrating too because we won one, lost one, won one, lost one. So I expect us some time this year for us to go on a winning streak of about 3plus wins because we're capable.

 

[Azul]

One week at a time, folks.

We could be 3rd on the ladder, but we're not! Let's not get ahead of ourselves, just winning this week would suffice.

Minus mental toughness to chase and tackle, our midfield isn't too shabby.

Our backline, though generally ok, is unsettled with Waite being thrown forward and Jamison still to gain match readiness after his injury.

We miss Jacobs in the ruck, though Hampson is improving.

Minus Eddie, our forward line is a shambles. Wiggins, Cloke, Setanta and Houlihan have all been tried there but none were in the team on Sunday. Fevola should be sent on vacation until his ailments clear up.

On our day we can be the 3rd best side but there's still heaps of improvement required. In the meantime, win or lose, I'll gain pleasure out of seeing Ratten play the kids in Hampson, Austin and Yarran.

Winning in Adelaide will be no easy task. Strolling in as favourites and thinking we have it sown up before the first bounce is what has cost us in four games. Thankfully ODN's 'vent thread' will be operational if we don't succeed.

 

[blue gunslinger]

we need to string a few together.

Lets just start at 2 and take it one week at a time shall we.

 

[davis_756]

Adelaide game is the most important of the year so far, win this we will play finals lose it we still need to improve.

Our season so far has mirrored the end of 08 besides the loss to freo, adelaide is a side we have beaten once in 8 years and one of those sides who flood/zone we always lose against.

If we are capable of beating Adelaide it will show we have improved against zoning sides and we are capable of playing good footy against anyone otherwise we are still pretty much the same as 08.

Win this week we should win the next two and be 7-4 and a finals certainty and be fighting for top 4 with Hawthorn and the Bulldogs.

 

[Pamam]

looks like Ratts is on the same thought

Blues now need to string wins together: Ratten

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/77196/default.aspx

IF CARLTON is to take the next step as a team this year then it simply must start to put runs of consecutive wins together according to coach Brett Ratten.

Ratten was pleased with the consistency and across the board effort he got from his side against the Pies last week, but he says the Blues must back that up in Saturday's road clash with the Crows to be taken seriously as a finals contender.

"It's been an interesting start for us with the inconsistency of winning and losing games. We've been up and down," Ratten said from Visy Park on Wednesday.

"We've got the opportunity and we need to win two and three games [running]. That's what the good teams do, they get back to back victories and win their two or three games in a row and then they might have a slip up or keep going.

"That's where we need to go – we need to get a few games and a few victories in a row to get some momentum up and not get this stop-start thing that we've had through the start of the season."

That will be no easy task in Adelaide where Carlton has not defeated the Crows since round 11 of 2004 when Brendan Fevola booted a late goal to seal a four-point win that proved to be Gary Ayres' last at the helm of the club.

Fevola is likely to be more involved in the play this week after playing a decoy role against the Pies, but Ratten said none of his players was above playing the dummy role if it helped the team.

"All great players want to get their hands on the footy, but to play a team role at certain times is very important," he said.

"It's all about the four points and how we do it will change week to week. At times I think it's important even for Chris [Judd] to go and play on a player and take himself out of the game.

"It allows someone else to stand up and deliver in that part of the game and that's important for the growth of the group."

Ratten is mulling over one or two possible changes to the team that defeated Collingwood with centre half-forward Simon Wiggins, who was a late withdrawal from that side with hamstring tightness, fit and pushing for reinstatement.

Eddie Betts will lead the team out onto AAMI Stadium as part of Indigenous Round celebrations with the game also significant for local fan favourite Andrew McLeod who will surpass Mark Ricciuto as the Crows' games record holder.

Ratten took the opportunity to express his sympathy for counterpart Terry Wallace after it was incorrectly reported that he had been sacked by Richmond on Tuesday.

"I feel pretty sorry for Terry and his family to get put through something like that when it hasn't even been put out by the club," he said. "I think it's very hard on an individual.

"It would be good to make sure the information is spot-on before we actually bring out the big-hitting news that could actually hurt people behind the scenes."

 

[CrippsonBlue]

we need to string a few together.

Agreed

 

[AlecDuncan]

Just had a look over the stats and we haven't won more than two in row since rounds 11-13 2004. If we really wanna build some confidence and start getting taken seriously this is gonna have to change very soon.

That's my major benchmark for progress. Once we've won three in a row I'll start to believe we're onto something.

 

[MileHigh]

Calling it.

http://www.carltonfc.com.au/season2008/newsarticle/tabid/4311/newsid/77198/default.aspx

 

[Pamam]

Calling it.

http://www.carltonfc.com.au/season2008/newsarticle/tabid/4311/newsid/77198/default.aspx

Too slow!!!