Roos hits back at Lethal criticism

[SWANSBEST]

Roos hits back at Lethal criticism
01 April 2004 Herald Sun
Tim Morrissey

PAUL Roos has told Leigh Matthews to stick to coaching his own team and stop using the Swans' short-kicking, high-possession game as a "smokescreen" to divert criticism of the Brisbane Lions' negative flooding tactics.

The Swans coach yesterday dismissed suggestions by Matthews on Talking Footy that Roos's game plan limited scoring opportunities for Barry Hall and Michael O'Loughlin and cost Sydney the game.

Roos said the Swans had no alternative but to play a possession game in their two-point loss at the Gabba last Saturday night and he won't be changing his game plan for Sydney's return clash at the SCG in round 18.

"Leigh can coach his own team and he has done it extremely well . . . I think it's a smokescreen from Leigh," Roos said.

"When teams flood dramatically like Brisbane do they try to put the criticism back on the other team.

"When you look back 18 months at all the furore over flooding, what teams did to break the flood was to hit targets and the flooding actually stopped.

"Brisbane are one of the few teams that continue to do it and the best way to deflect that is to actually blame the other team for holding the footy up."

Since the Swans' Round 1 loss to the Lions, Roos has been agitated by sections of the media describing his tactics as boring to the point of frustrating the Gabba crowd.

Roos believes the latest dig from Matthews is an attempt to influence the Swans to change their tactics of locating and hitting targets. He said the critics should take a closer look at the Lions.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,9148110%255E19742,00.html

[jixygirl]

Simple, that style of play almost won Sydney the game. We might have been thrashed if the Swans played differently.

[Rod_]

I would hope that the rest of the coachs look at this game plan and use it every week...... Against Brisbane anyway

Rod_

Give lethal something to whinge about....

[sharpie]

Originally posted by jixygirl
Simple, that style of play almost won Sydney the game. We might have been thrashed if the Swans played differently.

Who really cares if we "almost won". A loss is a loss is a loss, even if we were 1 kick from winning.

[Sid]

I got a set of 3 dvds on the history of AFL for my bday yesterday. It shows the highlights of 70s football to 90s football. I only started following AFL in the late 90s but I have to say football was much more exciting back in those days.

The problem lies in the fact that as times go on, people discover new effective ways of playing the game, even if it is boring and negative. I dont think this can really be helped.

[Sanecow]

Originally posted by sharpie
Who really cares if we "almost won". A loss is a loss is a loss, even if we were 1 kick from winning.

I agree, I don't think a close loss is any more enjoyable or satisfactory than a thrashing. If we lost a GF by a behind*, apparently there are a few people on the board who would think "the boys did pretty well" and not be disappointed.

* turn around three times etc etc.

[undy]

Originally posted by Sanecow
I agree, I don't think a close loss is any more enjoyable or satisfactory than a thrashing. If we lost a GF by a behind*, apparently there are a few people on the board who would think "the boys did pretty well" and not be disappointed.

* turn around three times etc etc.

No way ! Last weeks game was great to watch, right down to the final siren - exciting for both sets of fans. Watching us get thrashed would have been waaaayyy worse.

How can you really believe that watching us get thrashed would be as enjoyable ?

[Sanecow]

In the same way that winning by a point is such a great joy and relief, losing by a small margin is gutting. You don't get any extra points or premierships for a close loss.

[motorace_182]

Who really cares if we "almost won". A loss is a loss is a loss, even if we were 1 kick from winning

Absolue crap. It may have been a loss, but we were one kick away from defeating what some have called the greatest team to have ever graced the football field. Our boys showed promising signs for the rest of the season. Not all of our higher players stood up and we also had 2 debutants, and James had a full game, it was more than just a loss.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by motorace_182
what some have called the greatest team to have ever graced the football field.

I don't think anyone should describe the Brisbane team on Saturday like that.

[timthefish]

i'll take a competitive outing that will teach our players a lot, especially debutants, over a belting any day of the week.

of course lethal was talking up sydney's attack after the match. the way brisbane are set up he'd like to see us, and every other team, bang it in from outside fifty every time. chris johnson would rack up about 57 possessions and lynch would grab the coleman by the scruff of the neck by halfway through the third term (time for a nap alistair)

beware of anything any good coach says in confidence. particularly to mike sheehan.

tim

[sharp9]

I lost a lot of respect for Matthews and Hart with their comments.

Seems he is just as prone to "mind games" (which is a 21st century term for lying in public in order to influence people who are not very smart.....also known as politicking) as anyone else.

Good on Roosey fro responding. I would have liked hime to be even stronger in his language, something like "Leigh Matthews should have a bloody good long look at himself..." etc.

Speaking of politicking, did anyone notice that there was a newspaper poll yesterday that claimed 65% of people trust John Howard more than Mark Latham.

How is it possible that a single person who has lived in Australia for more than two minutes could possibly trust John Howard on ANYTHING and I mean that in all seriousness? Every time I try to think that the people of our great nation are not really completely stupid, I keep coming up against the weight of the evidence.....