Game plan/style question

[older saint]

i really hope this can be a football discussion and not a Richo is a moron, sack Richo thing.

Watching us play the last 2 weeks ,except for the last qtr against WC the initial instinct of all players when they get the ball is to look backwards for the handball. This must have been coached into them as it is not a natural instinct, if anything under pressure it would be to slam it forward as quick as possible. This strategy goes completely against that of Richmond, who i watched a bit over last 2 seasons , where there intent is to keep the ball moving forward under all circumstances be it scrappy handball, toe poke, grubber kick etc, and allow players to run onto the ball and create pressure coming head on at the opponent. Now i am not saying you must copy others but clearly going forward seems better than going backward?

Clearly the strategy we use is based around keeping possession . Switching play is a strategy many teams use when down the line is outnumbered and a lose man can be created either the other side of a switch back to the middle. We seem to switch without looking, again clearly a directive and more often then not end up with a down the line kick which ends at a contest at a position where the initial kick was taken , just on the other side of the ground( i.e. concede possession and ground from useless switch).

The 2 times this year where this team has got a run on ( GWS 4th qtr , WC 4th qtr) it appears the instruction has been take risk and look to attack at all options.

Granted Saturday night the insipid midfield could have had the greatest coach ever at the helm and it would have made no difference , this is about game style and i struggle to see how this will work in being succesful, either now or in the future, no matter how skilled the players on the park are.

Thoughts ?

[rodgerfox]

To me, the biggest green light to sack a coach, is when after 5 years, you still don't know what the f*** they're trying to do.

And, watching the Saints under Richo, after 5 years, I still have no idea WTF they're trying to do.

[Doctor Two]

The 2 times this year where this team has got a run on ( GWS 4th qtr , WC 4th qtr) it appears the instruction has been take risk and look to attack at all options.

Think the game plan is to take risks, be adventurous move the ball quickly like the quarters you have mentioned.

Due to the players being devoid of confidence, terrified of stuffing up, changes of personnel causing lack of trust they take the conservative option and handpass backwards to stationary targets, switch play across the ground to no advantage.

Saw Jimmy Webster do two spearing passes into the corridor early in the match to set up our advantage. By the end of the evening he was switching play to no advantage.

Don't think the game plan is the issue at the moment.

I'm not sure that our players in the right head space to implement it.

[rodgerfox]

Think the game plan is to take risks, be adventurous move the ball quickly like the quarters you have mentioned.

I don't think that's a game plan. That's a method of executing your game plan.