Ross Lyon you do my head in

[Rubyjo]

But it's not just your fault ...we have so many opportunities to score that we don't convert ..what are we to do going forward .we need 3 to 4 extra gaols ..some one work it out for Ross ...

[B.M]

Even when the game is completely on our terms

We don’t score

Vs WCE
First Q
11 inside 50s to 1
We led by 1 goal

Tonight
9 inside 50s to 2
We led by 1 goal

Ball movement mid-forward horrible

[repta]

Get a shot at goal from 40m out.... does the game plan state kick it to a player with3 opponents instead of just kicking the goal.

[Moods]

Something has gone horribly wrong. Certain players especially on the fwd line are completely out of touch.

King looks a shadow of himself. Almost painful to watch. The only player down there more painful to watch is Membery. The ball bouncing off his hands in an uncontested mark then fumbling straight after in the 1st quarter I think just made me sad. Caminetti has zero fwd craft. Does ok as a 2nd ruckman but has poor kicking skills. As does Owens ( who always has a crack) as does Higgins who can’t kick on his left and can’t kick reliably over any distance beyond 35m.

So that’s our star studded fwd line as things stand atm. Poor skills and the blokes with skills can’t find the pill. Can’t take a contested mark. We look completely bereft of ideas in there.

Midfield tried hard tonight but our fwds are terrible

[ShakenNotStirred]

Is it really that bad. I couldn't care less how much we don't score as long as the opposition score less.

It got Ross Lyon coached football sides into 3 x GF's.

If we can become more efficient inside F50 then the tide can turn quickly.

[bigcarl]

I don’t want to be too critical because we won against a pretty good team and our defensive game was fantastic. Also, it was largely a battle of defences with both well on top.

However, it’s painful to watch and so frustrating when we dominate large swathes of the game and can’t see the rewards.

Not quite sure what the answer is to our scoring woes, but we have to find one. I couldn’t really blame the midfield tonight - thought we at least broke even there most of the night and probably won it.

Positionally I’d start with King playing higher up the ground and Caminiti or Owens and the goal sneaks deeper. King always draws a crowd and moving him higher will open up some space out the back. Then there is the issue of delivery, which needs to be faster and more direct.

I thought we looked dangerous a couple of times with Owens winning the ball in the middle and going long and direct. Would like to see more of that.

Very happy to get the points in the end, but it would be great if we could kick a score befitting our dominance for a lot of the match. You know, really put a team away. The arm-wrestles do my head in as per the OP.

[Scollop]

People are defending King but I just don't see how you can. He's on his heels or he's prancing in a tight circle when he should be on the move. Doesn't lead early enough and doesn't read the play up the ground. Both Hill and Nasiah were 'gesturing' to get him to run straight at them.

That's what you do when your forward isn't on the same wavelength as you. Sinclair kicked the footy into space a couple of times. King had no idea.

Compared to the Gold Coast Suns we had probably a dozen more inside 50s and King was targeted more than any other player.

Too slow and too worried about his opponent. Get away from him. Work. Get on the move

I think bigcarl is right. If he's in the side, he should be playing up the ground more often.

He got 3 times as many opportunities as any other Key Position Forward last night. He earned 1 goal and got gifted another. Not good enough.

[Scollop]

Something has gone horribly wrong. Certain players especially on the fwd line are completely out of touch.

King looks a shadow of himself. Almost painful to watch. The only player down there more painful to watch is Membery. The ball bouncing off his hands in an uncontested mark then fumbling straight after in the 1st quarter I think just made me sad. Caminetti has zero fwd craft. Does ok as a 2nd ruckman but has poor kicking skills. As does Owens ( who always has a crack) as does Higgins who can’t kick on his left and can’t kick reliably over any distance beyond 35m.

So that’s our star studded fwd line as things stand atm. Poor skills and the blokes with skills can’t find the pill. Can’t take a contested mark. We look completely bereft of ideas in there.

Midfield tried hard tonight but our fwds are terrible

Good post. Agree about Higgins. He should be looking to handball when he can't kick it on his right foot

Higgins can at least make the distance from 45 or 50m out. Butler only kicks 40 maximum these days. Lucky all his shots tonight were within close range

[cwrcyn]

Yep, our forward line was awful. We controlled the game well in the first half. I thought tactically our set up in the midfield and defense was solid and was working for us. In the first 40 minutes of the game our forwards were on the move and leading up to take marks about 40m out form goal. Then, after that, they just went back to the dysfunctional method that has plagued us since about round 4

Our marking forwards have no synergy with each other nor with the players further up the field. They don't appear to be proactive enough. King is on his heels most of the time. He rarely leads (often because he's being held). Membrey is struggling to get separation on his opponent and runs to positions where he is not a threat. Caminiti will lead up, but his timing is hit and miss, often getting too close to the kicker.

What we end up with is Caminiti too close to the middle of the ground, Membrey out on the boundary and King stationary in the goal square. When our players further up the ground look up , they see Caminiti 25m away and Membrey and King 60m to 80m away with no apparent movement into the spaces where they should be leading. Then they have to either bomb it long or stop and kick it sideways to re-set

[GSG]

Is it really that bad. I couldn't care less how much we don't score as long as the opposition score less.

It got Ross Lyon coached football sides into 3 x GF's.

If we can become more efficient inside F50 then the tide can turn quickly.

Yes, but he also lost them all, and one more at Freo and then got the sack. We sacked Brett Ratten who had a reputation for developing young players, and this is what he’s probably doing right now at Hawthorn! King, Membery, etc. are shadows of their former selves. Well, just trade them and watch them blossom like a Japanese spring at another club. In the years he was out of the game, I can’t remember any of the clubs breaking down Ross the Boss’ door to offer him a coaching tenure! How many more games are we going to win, with Brisbane at the Gabba, Port, Swans, Crows at Footy Park, West Coast (maybe), Essendon, Brisbane at Home, Richmond (maybe) and Carlton? There won’t be any finals let alone a premiership with this man.

[The Fireman]

I’m confident RTB is the right man

[perfectionist]

... Both Hill and Nasiah were 'gesturing' to get him to run straight at them...

Alas, he is not Nick Riewoldt. Nick could do three leads and still have enough energy for a fourth if needed which usually meant his opponent was way behind. Max is incapable of that, and even his first lead will never produce a couple of metres break on his opponent, and someone of similar height can get a punch in. After just one lead of 20 metres, he is huffing and puffing as though is on his last breath. His brother is much the same. We saw with Plugger, that it doesn't matter how many goals a forward kicks, if he can't chase his opponent when required, the team suffers badly. For that reason, Barry Hall was a bigger loss to Sydney than him.

[GSG]

I’m confident RTB is the right man

I’d be only too happy if I was wrong. In fact, I’d be ecstatic!

[The Fireman]

I’m confident RTB is the right man

I’d be only too happy if I was wrong. In fact, I’d be ecstatic!

I'm confident that you are wrong

[spert]

Whatever Lyon is doping, the style of footy he has this team playing is keeping people from coming to matches- even mates from the bush don't want to come down to watch matches this season

[Vortex]

... Both Hill and Nasiah were 'gesturing' to get him to run straight at them...

Alas, he is not Nick Riewoldt. Nick could do three leads and still have enough energy for a fourth if needed which usually meant his opponent was way behind. Max is incapable of that, and even his first lead will never produce a couple of metres break on his opponent, and someone of similar height can get a punch in. After just one lead of 20 metres, he is huffing and puffing as though is on his last breath. His brother is much the same. We saw with Plugger, that it doesn't matter how many goals a forward kicks, if he can't chase his opponent when required, the team suffers badly. For that reason, Barry Hall was a bigger loss to Sydney than him.

I'm not into horse racing so can someone who is tell me what type of horse Winx was, was he a sprinter or long distance runner? I know enough about horse racing to know Winx wasn't a Clydesdale and although Max leads to the ball like a Clydesdale Winx was definitely not a Clydesdale...I know that much.

[repta]

LOL

Kng is no race horse. Nor is he a Clydesdale I am afraid there is no way someone can hook up the saints band wagon to King and expect a great outcome.

[Teflon]

I’m confident RTB is the right man

I’d be only too happy if I was wrong. In fact, I’d be ecstatic!

I'm confident that you are wrong

I’m confident GSG is deluded
No clubs wanted Lyon?? I think there were a few that did …

[repta]

The biggest issue I see with Ross game style is the lack of a Riewaldt player.
King is Kosi.
He is not riewaldt.
Ross game plan requires a big presence around centre half forward. Otherwise the ball movement stagnates.
This is what is happening . Saints can't score as the ball movement breaks down.

[GSG]

I’m confident RTB is the right man

I’d be only too happy if I was wrong. In fact, I’d be ecstatic!

I'm confident that you are wrong

I’m confident GSG is deluded
No clubs wanted Lyon?? I think there were a few that did …

Maybe .... but has anybody taken him? Oh yes, there was one - St Kilda.

[SaintWiki]

Sheesh

When one of the poorest teams does a rebuild they must win as many games on the way as they can in the mean time, so putting the coach down for winning ugly to get a win is pretty ordinary. Losing games just to keep the armchair experts happy doesn't carry any weight to me..

[whiskers3614]

I’m confident RTB is the right man

I’d be only too happy if I was wrong. In fact, I’d be ecstatic!

I'm confident that you are wrong

I’m confident GSG is deluded
No clubs wanted Lyon?? I think there were a few that did …

Not unconditionally and on his own terms as he got with Saints!
Don't see Carlton crying about not getting him!

[B.M]

56 inside 50s for 7 goals

40 times the ball went i50 and rebounded out

That is unbelievable

System is poor

[samoht]

The system doesn't help, but imagine our side with a couple of goal-kicking half forward flankers, 3 goal kicking mids, and a one-grab full forward and chf.

I wonder if RTB would allow a more attacking game style?

[Vortex]

56 inside 50s for 7 goals

40 times the ball went i50 and rebounded out

That is unbelievable

System is poor

If you have key forwards who aren’t working hard enough consistently enough it creates hesitation in the forward entry mechanism, midfielders lose confidence and hesitate in their decision making looking for the best option.

Our midfield is a work in progress but the key forwards have to take some accountability for the breakdown.

I’d love to see King trialled in the ruck and half forward parts of the ground and let Caminiti or even Sharman be given a long block of games as our key forwards.

What was that famous coaches saying…don’t think….DO!