AnythingsPossibleSaints wrote:WinnersOnly wrote:SainterK wrote:Ok I'll respond.
How about North in the last, we weren't just running around without an opposition?
How did you suggest the Saints counteract the fact that they got the ascendency?
It wasn't Dal, Joey, Steven, Armo that pushed back, they were still in the middle, just North lifted and started smashing us in the clearances.
Smart footy is recognising that, and trying to limit the damage.
What was the alternative?
North got the ascendancy because RL at 3/4 time went into lock down mode. He did not back his team to play attacking football and win game of their own initiative. He would rather win it by defensivley by locking the game down. This causes our players to go into their shells and no one is prepared to take the game on. This hands the opposition the momentum and causes untold pressure on our defensive line.
Against the better 2011 teams we have been found wanting badly when attempting to lock the games down and have been over run badly. The 2011 SAINTS need to back their aibilities and run, attack the opposition not go into their shells.
Here here.
All those lining up to bag him who seemingly think just winning is all that matters in games like that is kidding themselves. They all would have been the same ones who defended Lyon to the hilt in the past couple of years when some were critical of how defensive we were, but ultimately what did it get us?
What do we have to show for it? I'm sure many will now line up to tell me how "close" we got, as if getting close is what we were all aiming for, but that just sums the "loser culture" of this club up perfectly. This is why we don't win premierships, because so many at this club think getting "close" equals success. And when you're happy to settle for that, it's no wonder we don't win flags, as teams who really are successful don't settle for anything less than the best and eventually push us aside (1997, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010 anyone?).
We've now been well and truly worked out and as WO said, the better teams have generally run all over us this year, playing the way we did yesterday and will continue to do so if we happen to make the finals, playing that way. I mean North almost did yesterday, at our favourite ground and they're a long way off the best teams. North were on a winning roll, but who did they beat during that time? The likes of Port Adelaide, Gold Coast, Essendon when they were in their slump, etc. Big deal. They were nothing but a middle of the road team. We are miles off it.
At least WO is looking at the big picture, not just desperately craving every little win, as though it's the only thing that gives meaning to his life.
I can see both sides of this debate, at the moment I am happy just to get a few wins on the board any way we can, as so much is about confidence and wins bring confidence...
However, I think that for the long-term we need to re-work what we do going forward. If enough people think that we play boring football, the club owes it to the supporters to change. If we become more inspiring, the support at the ground will increase and in turn be more inspired and ferocious, that in turn will inspire the players. The inspiration has to come from somewhere though.
Not easy. Not impossible.
We've done it before and we'll do it again with Ross. Our midfield was fast and precice and space was found 1.5 seasons ago, we set the pace. Now the pace has increased. Lenny is a big pacesetter, and with him and Ball gone, and Ray, Gram, Dal and Montagna naturally more outside players, we've only got the emerging Steven doing the gruntwork. This means our delivery into our forward zone is not as clean or fast, which is how we've been neutralised in attack.
He is trying new options in the forward zone; he took a Gamble that hasn't paid off yet, Stanley has turned out to be a blunt tool, Johnson, Sippos and Lynch have had a go, Armo and Gilbert have been put there, McEvoy and Kosi go down there. If Roo had kicked for goal more accurately and if Schneider and Kosi had had decent starts to the year, If we had had Lynch or someone similar offer that med-sized threat all season, Roo wouldn't have been over-relied upon/triple-teamed. Also, the game has changed, and our recruiting was for a different type of forward. It's all about contested marks now, and we are paying the price for not finding a replacement for Gehrig or Hammil Quick enough.
Looking forward, I think we'll get more attacking as our skills improve, but it's good to have more than one game plan in your locker, and be able to do gritty wins too.
I don't think I'm making sense.
BOTTOM LINE: short term, any win is ok; we need more clearance specialists and tall key position players long term, in the meantime the transition might be a bit bumpy.
