Season Expectations 2022/23

[smbmetal]

Scenario: You're the Steelers owner, what would be your expectation or goals for the season ahead be for the coaching team?

League Champions - Finishing 2nd isn't good enough I'm afraid. Or at the minimum we need to take it to the final game of the season, not get easily beaten by the eventual league champions.

Challenge Cup - Finalist. Not get hammered in our own building.

Playoffs - Finalist not whimper out to a 7th placed team.

I know they are high expectations, but with one of the biggest budgets probably in the league they should be high.

Over to you Mr Fox.

[Jarv]

Fox needs the league win after throwing the last 2 away (ok one was cancelled but we'd thrown it away before that)

The League is the only trophy that matters this year. nothing else is good enough

[raetiamann]

I have no expectation around silverware this coming season, as I don't believe the club has the desire it once had. That said I do think this team won't be as one dimensional as in previous Fox years and so I'm looking forward to more entertainment on matchnights.

[smbmetal]

I have no expectation around silverware this coming season, as I don't believe the club has the desire it once had. That said I do think this team won't be as one dimensional as in previous Fox years and so I'm looking forward to more entertainment on matchnights.

Gerad Adams got fired for winning silverware!

IMO the Sheffield Steelers should be wanting to win and compete for every single trophy on offer. We should have desires to play in the CHL every season. Not watch the likes of Belfast and Cardiff do that instead.

Any less, then we turn in to a once great club that lives on it's historical successes.

I'd be very disappointed if the club doesn't have these desires as it will show on the ice. A lot of the new signings have said that they have come over to "win", I really hope that is the case.

[Ron 25]

Just for arguments sake, let's say we don't win anything this season, but come second in all competitions. Would the general opinion on here be that Fox has to go? I would say yes. Would the owner agree? I'm not so sure. And I think that is where our current issues begin. I would love to be proved wrong.

[smbmetal]

Just for arguments sake, let's say we don't win anything this season, but come second in all competitions. Would the general opinion on here be that Fox has to go? I would say yes. Would the owner agree? I'm not so sure. And I think that is where our current issues begin. I would love to be proved wrong.

For me, I would want a new coach if we don’t win any silverware.

The Sheffield Steelers used and SHOULD be the benchmark for UK professional hockey. Not Belfast or Cardiff.

Owner may not, but I don’t think they’ll be regular bumper crowds this season after the initial excitement of the new season has passed. The cost of living will make a few pick and choose games. So Fox needs to play winning and entertaining hockey to help keep the crowds up for me. 2022 hockey was dire for me after a good start.

Fox has no excuses. He knows the league now and is now in his 3rd season. One trophy out of 5 (inc Continental Cup) isn’t good enough for the Sheffield Steelers.

[House_of_Steel]

Just for arguments sake, let's say we don't win anything this season, but come second in all competitions. Would the general opinion on here be that Fox has to go? I would say yes. Would the owner agree? I'm not so sure. And I think that is where our current issues begin. I would love to be proved wrong.

For me, I would want a new coach if we don’t win any silverware.

The Sheffield Steelers used and SHOULD be the benchmark for UK professional hockey. Not Belfast or Cardiff.

Owner may not, but I don’t think they’ll be regular bumper crowds this season after the initial excitement of the new season has passed. The cost of living will make a few pick and choose games. So Fox needs to play winning and entertaining hockey to help keep the crowds up for me. 2022 hockey was dire for me after a good start.

Fox has no excuses. He knows the league now and is now in his 3rd season. One trophy out of 5 (inc Continental Cup) isn’t good enough for the Sheffield Steelers.

At what point is ownership also to blame though?

[ginger]

If we finished 2nd in every competition then I'm not sure you can seriously fire a coach! 2 one off finals - unless we got absolutely battered in both and were 10 points off 1st in the league maybe, but I'd guess that would mean 1 team was miles better than everyone.

Considering there are 4 teams including us who realistically could win the league, salary cap in place then it's about challenging for all competitions. If we do that, then I'm happy.

Fox's first season we won the challenge cup, and even though it looked like the league would have gone when the season got cut short, we could easily have won the playoffs. If we'd have done that, even with disappointment last season, would anyone seriously be saying Fox has to win something to keep his job?

[smbmetal]

If we finished 2nd in every competition then I'm not sure you can seriously fire a coach! 2 one off finals - unless we got absolutely battered in both and were 10 points off 1st in the league maybe, but I'd guess that would mean 1 team was miles better than everyone.

Considering there are 4 teams including us who realistically could win the league, salary cap in place then it's about challenging for all competitions. If we do that, then I'm happy.

Fox's first season we won the challenge cup, and even though it looked like the league would have gone when the season got cut short, we could easily have won the playoffs. If we'd have done that, even with disappointment last season, would anyone seriously be saying Fox has to win something to keep his job?

It’s a fair point, but we’ve had coaches in the past fired for winning silverware by the same ownership.

Let’s be honest last season we weren’t really challenging for any silverware when it came to the crunch. Yes, we finished runners up in the league, but had the title in our own hands and was well beaten by Belfast. Cardiff embarrassed us in our own building in the CC semi-final and we didn’t even make the playoff weekend. No one remembers runners up.

If you’re happy with all that, then that’s great. It’s not good enough for me and a repeat of that, I would want a change in coaching staff.

Similarly if we have a great season Fox deserves all the plaudits, credit and praise.

[Keith Sheppard]

So, considering the posts above and the points made. Are we the Manchester United of the ice hockey world? They won loads in the 90’s and early 00’s. Arguably the biggest club with the biggest fan base, yet underachieving fans expectations and seemingly left behind by the progress at other clubs?