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Re: World Snooker International Championship Last 16 !!!

Postby TheRocket

Cheshire Cat wrote:
This is a very good analysis and I agree.

Ronnie has gone from one extreme to another; it used to be 'I won't settle for anything less than perfection', and now it's 'oh well, sod it, if I lose then that's that'. I don't like this mentality, it's very defeatist. Mark Selby strives for perfection and is scathingly self critical of himself, but he always gives 110% whether he's playing well or not.


Isn't that a problem of nowadays world though? Too many wishy washy personalities instead of people with some flaws and emotion.

I agree that I rather have the old O'Sullivan back instead of the current who shows almost no emotion and who tries so hard to look composed out there. Even when getting the worst defeats.

Re: World Snooker International Championship Last 16 !!!

Postby Pedro147

When I said decline it's not that he's gone from brilliant to bad, it's that his game is starting to show weaknesses. Break building and safety have been really poor, by Ronnie's standards.

Brilliant against Robertson and has been dreadful against Holt, Wakelin. That's what decline is, you're still very good but starting to produce poor patches. Holt wasn't even good today, he didn't need to scrap to win safety battles as Ronnie either his a baulk colour, safety too hard or soft or would stick a pot up.

Re: World Snooker International Championship Last 16 !!!

Postby Goldenballs147

Cheshire Cat wrote:
Goldenballs147 wrote:It's frustrating to watch O'Sullivan play the way he's playing. This isn't an "over 40 decline" type situation, this is the Two Ronnies except without the canned laughter.

What possible good can come out of saying at a post match press conference that you're no longer good enough to compete with the best, when your next opponent is a journeyman like Holt who has managed to beat you twice already this year. Psychologically that can't be good for you. Especially when it's also simply not true. You don't win the Masters, the Welsh Open, whitewash a player like Robertson and reach the final of a tournament and go nearly to the wire if you're just not good enough.

Even with him maintaining his composure in the face of some of the glaring errors he's been making it's almost as if he's settled on going through the motions instead rather than showing any sort of natural frustration and then trying to do something about it.

The safety mistakes, the easy balls being missed, the dodgy positional play, these aren't caused by lack or decline of ability. It's more like he's trying to prove at any cost that he's just enjoying playing and he enjoys his punditry more. Which is a shame because he's a terrible pundit at times.


This is a very good analysis and I agree.

Ronnie has gone from one extreme to another; it used to be 'I won't settle for anything less than perfection', and now it's 'oh well, sod it, if I lose then that's that'. I don't like this mentality, it's very defeatist. Mark Selby strives for perfection and is scathingly self critical of himself, but he always gives 110% whether he's playing well or not.


Defeatist is exactly the word I would use. Where the match could be lost before a ball has even been potted.

"Tournaments are like buses", "lose in a best of 7 and sure there'll be another tournament next week anyway" etc etc, I for one am not buying it.

Re: World Snooker International Championship Last 16 !!!

Postby Rockettim147

I have to agree that I don't like this new attitude. He needs to go back to how he used be. Also in regards to decline, tbh there are signs of it, just slightly. The Majors are the most important. UK, MASTERS, WORLDS. Holt will never win a major...will probably lose to Bullrun next. Holt is just a spoiler...

Re: World Snooker International Championship Last 16 !!!

Postby PoolBoy

Steve Peters should be giving him a stern talking-to for his 'not good enough' comment.
A professional sportsman simply doesn't admit that - not even in a throw-away-comment!

Even if Ronnie does feel that way, you certainly don't let your opponents 'smell' that weakness.
Is he still working with him, I wonder?

But, that's the most disjointed performance from O'Sullivan I've probably ever seen - he just wasn't good enough today to beat Michael Holt.
Next month's UK Championship will be interesting!

Re: World Snooker International Championship Last 16 !!!

Postby hendry_fan

Andre147 wrote:Your celebrations will be short lived hendry-fan, as Ding will beat Higgins next round! <ok>






I wrote just the other day,that i think John will at some point win at least 1 more ranker,if he does,nt go on to win this tourney,then so be it,at least Ronnie got kicked out by the hitman. :happy:




Oh and by the way,.....


,.....check this out,funny,cause a few mins after i saw that Holty beat Ron yet again,for the third cons time,it sprung to my mind what Stephen wrote in his Twitter,i thought the exact same as what he did,...........


,................stephen hendry ‏@SHendry775 2 Std.Vor 2 Stunden

Very impressive @hitmanholt #johnsonallen


<laugh>




I knew deep down that Stephen does,nt just eat chinese and downs bottles o wine these days,i knew that he also keeps his eyes on whats goin on in tourneys,even if it <just> means lookin at the live scorin or checkin the results. :-D



Of course,i,ve no 100% proof that he does,but it would,nt surprise me at all,all it takes is a few clicks and even Stephen has time to do that and even though Stephen has said that he rearely watches snooker,i,m sure he,s at least intrested in whats goin on,in fact,it would,nt surprise me if he does watch the odd frames as well as checks the results. ;-)

Re: World Snooker International Championship Last 16 !!!

Postby Iranu

I won't start believing that Ronnie is out of form until he goes through a sustained run of poor form and bad results. Players go in and out of form all the time, Ronnie as much as anyone.

Let's not forget he only lost in the Worlds because of a once-in-a-lifetime performance by his opponent (I think he finished with 94/95% pot success and lost?), he was if I remember right one good split away from beating Judd the other week, and he didn't even play that badly today, Holt had to play good stuff to beat him.

And I honestly think that's a major difference between now and two years ago. His opponents are playing better against him than they did back then.

I also think he's playing a bit too "relaxed" out there. I remember him saying a while back he had decided to back himself more and go for his shots, and I think that'a fine if you're talking about more positive long shots etc, but he regularly plays the difficult pot when he runs out of position, which is something else I think happens more often now thanks to lack of due care and attention.

Or I'm thinking too hard about this.

Re: World Snooker International Championship Last 16 !!!

Postby SnookerFan

Iranu wrote:I won't start believing that Ronnie is out of form until he goes through a sustained run of poor form and bad results. Players go in and out of form all the time, Ronnie as much as anyone.

Let's not forget he only lost in the Worlds because of a once-in-a-lifetime performance by his opponent (I think he finished with 94/95% pot success and lost?), he was if I remember right one good split away from beating Judd the other week, and he didn't even play that badly today, Holt had to play good stuff to beat him.

And I honestly think that's a major difference between now and two years ago. His opponents are playing better against him than they did back then.

I also think he's playing a bit too "relaxed" out there. I remember him saying a while back he had decided to back himself more and go for his shots, and I think that'a fine if you're talking about more positive long shots etc, but he regularly plays the difficult pot when he runs out of position, which is something else I think happens more often now thanks to lack of due care and attention.

Or I'm thinking too hard about this.


Over thinking Ronnie is all that seems to happen on this site.

Re: World Snooker International Championship Last 16 !!!

Postby gallantrabbit

Well i for one am chuffed at Holty's progress. He's taking steps all the time and just happens to have been drawn against ROS a few times. He's having a good season and deserves it because he's trying to address the issues that have been a problem in the past, ie letting his head go down. Now he's getting comfortable on the tv tables I think he'll continue to do damage.
Good luck to the fellow.

Re: World Snooker International Championship Last 16 !!!

Postby Incident on 57th street 20

Iranu wrote:I won't start believing that Ronnie is out of form until he goes through a sustained run of poor form and bad results. Players go in and out of form all the time, Ronnie as much as anyone.

Let's not forget he only lost in the Worlds because of a once-in-a-lifetime performance by his opponent (I think he finished with 94/95% pot success and lost?), he was if I remember right one good split away from beating Judd the other week, and he didn't even play that badly today, Holt had to play good stuff to beat him.

And I honestly think that's a major difference between now and two years ago. His opponents are playing better against him than they did back then.

I also think he's playing a bit too "relaxed" out there. I remember him saying a while back he had decided to back himself more and go for his shots, and I think that'a fine if you're talking about more positive long shots etc, but he regularly plays the difficult pot when he runs out of position, which is something else I think happens more often now thanks to lack of due care and attention.

Or I'm thinking too hard about this.



Exactly Iranu.

Very good post

Re: World Snooker International Championship Last 16 !!!

Postby Wildey

in 1998/1999 season Hendry lost 3 matches against Tony Drago the only 3 matches he lost against Drago in 18 meetings and he ended up winning his 7th World Title that season.


Watch this space Ronnie Fans #patterns

Re: World Snooker International Championship Last 16 !!!

Postby SnookerFan

Wildey wrote:in 1998/1999 season Hendry lost 3 matches against Tony Drago the only 3 matches he lost against Drago in 18 meetings and he ended up winning his 7th World Title that season.


Watch this space Ronnie Fans #patterns


Decline.

Re: World Snooker International Championship Last 16 !!!

Postby SnookerFan

Muppet147 wrote:I'm disappointed that Ronnie has lost but you have to give Holt credit. He keeps getting drawn against Ronnie and he keeps doing the business. I hope he can build on this and win a few more matches in the tournament.


For once, you talk sense. :hatoff:

Re: World Snooker International Championship Last 16 !!!

Postby Dan-cat

Andre147 wrote:
Dan-cat wrote:
Andre147 wrote:Dont compare Hendry with Ronnie on the safety department. Hendry had a non-existent safety game, Ronnie when he's on it has one of the best safety games in Snooker.

Even with Ronnie's safety game off like today, it's still better than Hendry's ever was!


Hendry did not have a bad safety game. I remember! You should go back and watch his wins.


He didn't Dan ecause he simply didnt need to. His potting won him most matches. Ronnie's safety is far superior to his. Reardon helped Ronnie massively in this.


I didn't say Ronnie wasn't superior. But if there were no pots on Hendry could put the ball on the top cushion. Go back and watch his matches.