Does Ross Lyon read this site? Maybe he should

[rodgerfox]

Gotta laugh....last night was the closest game yet that RL has played to GT's game style.

Why would a coach change game styles?

[Oh When the Saints]

Football has changed anyway - it was better to watch 5 years ago and better again 10 years ago.

Just in general there are more crap games that are over-umpired, too tactical and require running machines.


They should only play AFL when it's raining. The games are far better to watch.

[rodgerfox]

Just in general there are more crap games that are over-umpired, too tactical and require running machines.

The one thing that hasn't changed though, is the team that has a simple game plan, with fit players carrying it out - wins the flag.

Teams with complex and 'tricky' game plans, pinch wins and can sneak into the 8, but they don't win flags.

The best form of pressure, has always been, and always will be, to attack.

[bigcarl]

The one thing that hasn't changed though, is the team that has a simple game plan, with fit players carrying it out - wins the flag.

Teams with complex and 'tricky' game plans, pinch wins and can sneak into the 8, but they don't win flags.

The best form of pressure, has always been, and always will be, to attack.

correct rodgerfox and we looked as though we were going to well and truly blow the bulldogs away for a while there.

then we forgot to get the ball

[rodgerfox]

The one thing that hasn't changed though, is the team that has a simple game plan, with fit players carrying it out - wins the flag.

Teams with complex and 'tricky' game plans, pinch wins and can sneak into the 8, but they don't win flags.

The best form of pressure, has always been, and always will be, to attack.

correct rodgerfox and we looked as though we were going to well and truly blow the bulldogs away for a while there.

then we forgot to get the ball

Attack doesn't always mean kicking big scores. It means winning contests - not protecting them. It doesn't always mean running forward of contests - it means entering contests with the intent of winning it, and believing that you will.

It means attacking the ball, not defending the space where that ball will go when your opponent gets it.

[meher baba]

Does Ross Lyon read this forum?

If I had my way, he'd have plenty more time to do so.

Greg Westaway - if you read this - here is what I think you should do.

Give "Rossy" a chance to at least give a creditable performance against the Cats: eg, a close loss (a win is almost unimaginable ATM). If he manages this, then he needs to deliver a win - nothing less - against the Bombers.

If he fails in this, and we end up 2-3, I think that Westaway should seek out Matt Rendell wherever he is and beg him to come back and take over. Lyon and his gumby henchmen would be sacked as a job lot and Rendell allowed to bring in his own assistants.

Lyon is a joke of a coach. He was selected by a pack of imbeciles who thought that a good AFL coach was someone who performed well in a psychology test and a simulated post-match press conference. Any question of his ability to coach a team and lead a group of men didn't enter into it.

Personality clearly didn't either. The more I see him talking on TV, the more his voice and body language remind me of Barney the Dinosaur, but with a bit less charisma and animation. It might be true that players respect his so-called "footy brain" (although it's difficult for me to understand why), but they can hardly find him to be a very inspiring leader.

He is like a computer program that continually malfunctions in the same way but which can't be fixed. He seems to think that the way to play AFL involves kicking a few goals, getting a bit of a lead, and then totally shutting up shop with everyone continually running backwards and making no attempt to go for the ball until their legs give out and we are overrun by our opponents.

Under GT, win, lose or draw, we almost invariably kicked 90 points or more in a game at Docklands (or most other venues for that matter). Under Lyon, this is starting to look like an impossible dream, other than against the likes of the Blues (which virtually doesn't count).

As they say on Big Brother, "it's time to go Ross........."

[bigcarl]

Does Ross Lyon read this forum?

If I had my way, he'd have plenty more time to do so.

Greg Westaway - if you read this - here is what I think you should do.

Give "Rossy" a chance to at least give a creditable performance against the Cats: eg, a close loss (a win is almost unimaginable ATM). If he manages this, then he needs to deliver a win - nothing less - against the Bombers.

If he fails in this, and we end up 2-3, I think that Westaway should seek out Matt Rendell wherever he is and beg him to come back and take over. Lyon and his gumby henchmen would be sacked as a job lot and Rendell allowed to bring in his own assistants.

Lyon is a joke of a coach. He was selected by a pack of imbeciles who thought that a good AFL coach was someone who performed well in a psychology test and a simulated post-match press conference. Any question of his ability to coach a team and lead a group of men didn't enter into it.

Personality clearly didn't either. The more I see him talking on TV, the more his voice and body language remind me of Barney the Dinosaur, but with a bit less charisma and animation. It might be true that players respect his so-called "footy brain" (although it's difficult for me to understand why), but they can hardly find him to be a very inspiring leader.

He is like a computer program that continually malfunctions in the same way but which can't be fixed. He seems to think that the way to play AFL involves kicking a few goals, getting a bit of a lead, and then totally shutting up shop with everyone continually running backwards and making no attempt to go for the ball until their legs give out and we are overrun by our opponents.

Under GT, win, lose or draw, we almost invariably kicked 90 points or more in a game at Docklands (or most other venues for that matter). Under Lyon, this is starting to look like an impossible dream, other than against the likes of the Blues (which virtually doesn't count).

As they say on Big Brother, "it's time to go Ross........."

whack!!!

[Oh When the Saints]

I can't dignify that with a response.

Can't believe it's only taken 25 weeks for a "sack Lyon" post to appear though.


We are St Kilda supporters, aren't we ....

[meher baba]

Can't believe it's only taken 25 weeks for a "sack Lyon" post to appear though.

That's not fair OWTS, I wrote a similar post after we lost to the Roos last year.

I then became a bit encouraged by the wins over the WCE at Subi and against the Hawks. I ended the pre-season thinking that RL had expanded his coaching approach beyond the one-dimensional.

But I was proved wrong last night. And I don't feel convinced from anything he says that he has any plan to modify his approach. So I can't see things changing and I think he should be put on notice by the board.

Look at the team we fielded last night on paper. And most of them were pretty fit. And we didn't collapse with injuries during the game as we did so often in the past. We were outcoached in a major way: Eade changed his strategy in Q2 and Lyon had absolutely no answer: and never looked as if he were trying to do anything different.

He's no good and never will be. Face up to it. You'll be saying the same thing yourself in a few weeks or months.

[SainterX]

The more I see him talking on TV, the more his voice and body language remind me of Barney the Dinosaur, but with a bit less charisma and animation.

Classic

Now if only he were purple

[Oh When the Saints]

He's no good and never will be. Face up to it. You'll be saying the same thing yourself in a few weeks or months.

I can't make that judgment yet ... but I will certainly be able to by the end of this season.

[saintsRrising]

I wonder how many of the Saints players are thinking bl***y RL????

I mean it was the Saints off to a first quarter fly......but according to this string RL singlehandly turned the game around into a disaster.

If the posters in this string are accurate surely there will be a mutiny??????


Personally me thinks that Roo's comments about the players needing to get on the bus are more relevant.

They were all on it in the first quarter....but quarter time saw many get off it.

I don't much like our current 3 tall forward structure...but after quarter time to me our loss was predicated by a lousy workrate in the last 3 quarters by many.

I posted at the start of last year that achieving a decent work rate from our players would be RL's greatest challenge...and it remains so.



Post streak many of our players go missing way too often.

One thing that I agree with GT on (and there are actually quite a few) was his mantra of 100% effort 100% of the time. Now that is the ideal..what you strive for.....

Last night it was not achieved and if lucklustre efforts in terms of workrate continue too often then RL will have to carry the can.

[plugger66]

Football has changed anyway - it was better to watch 5 years ago and better again 10 years ago.

Just in general there are more crap games that are over-umpired, too tactical and require running machines.


They should only play AFL when it's raining. The games are far better to watch.

Omly proves you watch the saints and have no idea what so ever. Clearly better footy these days but you are influenced by our play. You clearly have no idea.

[bigcarl]

I don't much like our current 3 tall forward structure

i think it will work better if roo starts on the wing with kosi chf and fraser ff.

nothing to stop riewoldt still going forward and kicking goals and would give kosi and g-train more space.

also would force our players to look for other options than just kick-it-to-roo.

who knows, they might even discover they can kick goals themselves.

we've been too reliant on him for too long across half-forward and other clubs seize on this weakness.

but i'm with the posters who said this loss had nothing to do with the forward structure.

purely and simply we just couldn't get it after quarter time and were smashed in general play by a hungrier and more aggressive outfit.

we need to regroup quickly.

i still think we can be a challenger, but it is going to take some of the young leaders at the club ... dal santo, ball and montagna (to name just a few) ... to step up to the plate and keep the dream alive.

[plugger66]

I don't much like our current 3 tall forward structure

i think it will work better if roo starts on the wing with kosi chf and fraser ff.

nothing to stop riewoldt still going forward and kicking goals and will give kosi and g-train a bit more space.

will force our players to look for other options than just kick-it-to-roo.

who knows, they might even decide to kick a goal themselves.

but i'm with the posters who said this loss had nothing to do with the forward structure.

purely and simply we just couldn't get it after quarter time and were smashed in general play by a hungrier and more aggressive outfit.

we need to regroup quickly. i still think we can be a challenger, but it is going to take some of the young leaders at the club ... ball, dal santo, montagna (to name just a few) ... to step up to the plate and keep the dream alive.

You wanted 3 talls now you want our best forward to play on the wing. I fail to see how that fixes anything.

[saintsRrising]

I don't much like our current 3 tall forward structure

i think it will work better if roo starts on the wing with kosi chf and fraser ff.

.

But if Roo is on the wing...it is no longer a 3 tall forward structure...but a 2 tall structure...is it not??????

[bigcarl]

You wanted 3 talls now you want our best forward to play on the wing. I fail to see how that fixes anything.

i wanted to cut down our over-reliance on riewoldt and think that guys streaming down the ground need to be able to see more than just the big, blond superstar.

i believe this is a big problem and has been for some time.

don't get me wrong on this. he is a champion and the best player we can put out there and that is why he was made captain, so it is no sledge on him.

in any case, given his massive workrate and tank he'd play wing quite unlike anyone else and continue to press forward and kick goals.

so in effect we'd still have the three talls forward. it's just that one would start on the wing.

[plugger66]

You wanted 3 talls now you want our best forward to play on the wing. I fail to see how that fixes anything.

i wanted to cut down our over-reliance on riewoldt and think that guys streaming down the ground need to be able to see more than just the big, blond superstar.

i believe this is a big problem and has been for some time.

don't get me wrong on this. he is a champion and the best player we can put out there and that is why he was made captain, so it is no sledge on him.

in any case, given his massive workrate and tank he'd play wing quite unlike anyone else and continue to press forward and kick goals.

so in effect we'd still have the three talls forward. it's just that one would start on the wing.

So they will kick it to the wing instead of the forward line as he still will be the only one leading as Kosi is way to slow and doesnt present and G is nearly finished. As I have always said since RL has coached us we couls have Plugger hudson and Coleman and nothing would stop the fact that midfielders win or lose games. What forwards do though is keep the ball in the forward line and Kosi and G cannot do that.

[bigcarl]

So they will kick it to the wing instead of the forward line as he still will be the only one leading.

well maybe he will end up at chb if that happens. he's a superstar, but our reliance on him is crippling imo.

Kosi is way to(o) slow and doesnt present and G is nearly finished.

kosi always presents and was our most effective forward target last night. G was our most effective forward the previous week against carlton. granted he is nearing the end of his career, but i'm thinking no further ahead than 2008.

What forwards do though is keep the ball in the forward line and Kosi and G cannot do that.

neither can riewoldt. the number of times we've kicked it to him and the ball has been swept away are ample evidence of that.

keeping the ball in is more the job of the crumbers and mediums ... milne, schneider, x-man, perhaps gilbert.

[plugger66]

So they will kick it to the wing instead of the forward line as he still will be the only one leading.

well maybe he will end up at chb if that happens. he's a superstar, but our reliance on him is crippling imo.

Kosi is way to(o) slow and doesnt present and G is nearly finished.

kosi always presents and was our most effective forward target last night. G was our most effective forward the previous week against carlton. granted he is nearing the end of his career, but i'm thinking no further ahead than 2008.

What forwards do though is keep the ball in the forward line and Kosi and G cannot do that.

neither can riewoldt. the number of times we've kicked it to him and the ball has been swept away are ample evidence of that.

Well please explain how we had as many entries as them but didnt get close in the end. It is simple we are not mobile enough. Tall forwards are a thing of the past unless they can move quickly. Please give me a lumbering forward like Kosi and G who work together as a team. It is old ftime footy and will not work these days.

[saintsRrising]

kosi always presents and was our most effective forward target last night. G was our most effective forward the previous week against carlton.
.

And that is the nub of my concern....that at least one of them will be poor each week.....which effectively means that we are playing one short.

With 2 slows forwards this gets magnified as with all the running it also means that we are one short in todays super-midfield.

On the upside every now and again it will work...but I see more downside than upside.


Also consider that the Blues have about the worst defence in the AFL, yet were largely able to negate it.

[Oh When the Saints]

Omly proves you watch the saints and have no idea what so ever. Clearly better footy these days but you are influenced by our play. You clearly have no idea.

The game has lost its diversity in player type, the characters, the connection with supporters, lost passion from the players and coaches, lost it's physical toughness and IMO isn't in as good a state as it was 10 years ago.

I've watched about 10 matches so far in 2008, and only two St Kilda games (incl NAB Cup)

I don't like football as much anymore. It's now 50/50 at best whether I watch it on a Friday night, go out or lie in bed and read a book.

Can you raise any counter arguments? Apart from telling me that I have no idea?

[bigcarl]

Well please explain how we had as many entries as them but didnt get close in the end.

because our midfield was smashed and obliterated.

after quarter time our delivery forward was haphazard and under extreme pressure.

they actually had a whopping 88 more possessions than us in general play. i can't recall too many clean possessions by any of our guys ... forward, back or midfield ... after quarter time.

[plugger66]

Omly proves you watch the saints and have no idea what so ever. Clearly better footy these days but you are influenced by our play. You clearly have no idea.

The game has lost its diversity in player type, the characters, the connection with supporters, lost passion from the players and coaches, lost it's physical toughness and IMO isn't in as good a state as it was 10 years ago.

I've watched about 10 matches so far in 2008, and only two St Kilda games (incl NAB Cup)

I don't like football as much anymore. It's now 50/50 at best whether I watch it on a Friday night, go out or lie in bed and read a book.

Can you raise any counter arguments? Apart from telling me that I have no idea?

Your friggin 18 and you talk about 5-10 years ago. Stop listening to your dad and think for yourself little d.

[bigcarl]

kosi always presents and was our most effective forward target last night. G was our most effective forward the previous week against carlton.

that is the nub of my concern ... at least one of them will be poor each week ... which effectively means that we are playing one short.

well where's roo in all this? he hasn't been our most effective forward either week. perhaps it will be his turn against geelong.

we certainly need someone to stand up. maybe it will be the captain