Seriously Ragan..... Seriously?!

I have to be honest, I was a little short on inspiration this week when it came to writing my blog. This is why is has taken until Wednesday for me to write it. Panthers beat the Giants 3-2 on Saturday night but the game certainly wasn't one for the highlights reel.

However this morning whilst reading the Cage Forum instead of working, a new post was created about a piece published yesterday on the Wales Online website which first nothing short of ridiculous and secondly so ridiculous that it inspired me to get cracking with this weeks blog!

So for those of you that haven't read the article, Paul Ragan has given Cardiff head coach Gerad Adams one month to improve the teams position from 8th to 4th. The link to the article is:

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/ice-hockey/gerad-adams-given-ultimatum-over-6120867

So when October 31st rolls around and assuming that Cardiff aren't in the top 4 then what is going to happen? Although the article doesn't state, it pretty much eludes to the fact that Adams will no longer be in employment.

To be honest, I am completely flabbergasted at this. It makes me feel a little like we are turning into a mentality only seen within football and if you look a little closer and what has happened in Cardiff this season it makes such a statement even more ridiculous.

Firstly as everybody will no doubt know, they lost their first choice netminder La Costa in the opening game of the season at Fife, a game which they won 5-2 in a arena which is difficult for any team to get a result. Since then they have only played 3 other league games all without LaCosta. Don't get me wrong, two of these results have been heavy defeats but they have been playing with Hull's reserve nettie so the drop in standard is there for all to see. In the Challenge Cup they have been more competitive and picked up a win in Sheffield this weekend.

So Ragan wants them to be 4th. LaCosta is set to return this weekend which is good news and the Devils have 6 league fixtures this month. They play Belfast twice at home, Fife at home, Sheffield away and the Capitals both home and away.

Assuming that Cardiff win all 6 fixtures they would then sit on 14 points. That's all well and good but then there is no guarantee that either they will win all those fixtures or that this will even be good enough for the top four. At this time, Dundee, Belfast, Nottingham and Coventry occupy the top 4 positions.

Dundee have 6 league fixtures in October and would only need to win 3 to stay above Cardiff. Belfast also have 6 league fixtures (2 against Cardiff) and would only need 3 wins to stay above Cardiff as long as one of those victories is against the Devils. The Panthers only have 3 league fixtures in October due to their Continental Cup participation and so could be caught. But this was a quick look without predicting results and doesn't even take into account Sheffield or Braehead who are also sat above the Devils.

So what am I trying to say?

Actually I am saying that I find the article and the timing of Ragan's comments to be poorly judged at best. I am not disputing that the owner of an ice hockey club wants to see better, I am sure that all owners feel that way, but the markers set down are unrealistic and badly timed. Either this chat should have remained private or the owner should have asked for an improvement in results and league position but something a little more realistic than 4th.

Gerad has been a great servant to the club and although he hasn't been helped by injuries or Conboy's lunacy, his comments in the article are full of class. I hope that he doesn't find himself out of work.

This weeks 'Blog From Block 15' award goes to Ryan Ginand of the Blaze. A hat-trick against Bakala and the Stars at the weekend takes his goals tally this season to 12. A very dangerous player who is so far helping the Blaze be very competitive this season.