![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
--------------------------------------------
Ah, I had a feeling that having recovered from the weekend can't-face-thinking-about-the-Saints-cuz-they-lostitis I might find something on here with the doubts of Lyon surfacing again. And so they should. The system of win-by-a-little/lose-by-a-lot is a bit overdone now.
Lets not call that Grant Thomas football just to suit our Agenda's either. As Bigcarl has joyously pointed out time and again, kick it to Roo kick it to Reiwoldt has been a Saints staple for a long time. That was partly so frustrating because kicking it to them in the goalsquare when for the sake of 3 more steps a shot could be taken at times defied logic. That wasn't kick it to targets or fast ball movement, that was panic as soon as they passed the center line. The ball would continually be kicked to the CHF position the moment a Saint passed the centre, with predictable results. It's no secret the dogs like to run from half back...
At some point surely the coach has to recognise that it's not working. The criticism of GT that's always held most weight with me was an inibility to do this and adjust. Lyon served up the same. At quarter time the dogs started pushing back numbers at any cost (several times we had 4 in our defensive 50 at the opening bounce - WITH A LOOSE MAN!)... and we spent the next 3 quarters kicking it to the place where those numbers were. St. Kilda would actually have fared better if Lyon's offense worked the way it has oft been accused of - slowly. Instead it was the dope in Rodney's rope.
The players need to share a lot of blame. They got smashed at the clearances after quarter time... I'm stupified at having watched Luke Ball running in off a wing with Nick Dal Santo at half back with the flow out of the middle strongly against us though. It's good to try different things, but by the time Schneider was on ball in the fourth, you got the feeling Lyon was just gambling rather than creating.
As for the much doubted forward line. I actually like the forward line, and I'm willing to give them time to gel. What I dislike immensely is the number of times Milne and Schneider are the guys gontesting the drop of the ball in a tall forward line. I'm also staggered by the suggestion Kosi is not in his prime, I wonder when his prime is scheduled?
I'm more than happy to credit Eade and the Dogs with a great game Friday night. To come back after quarter time and win nearly every key stat showed character and skill - the Dogs have been vastly underestimated by many, including me. However, with that as a given, the Dogs earned a win from 6 goals down, but it was St. Kilda that made sure it was 40 points worth.
I'm not calling for Lyon's head yet, but I'm moving further and further to the view that he's not up to the job. I hope he proves me wrong...