"In one ear and out the other"

[Xie Shan]

As you all can imagine I was pretty frustrated after coming back from the game yesterday with Mum (what a way to spend Mother's Day) - we played terribly and I really couldn't see any signs that we might turn the corner soon.

I was stunned to read this in today's SMH from Stuey Maxfield that Roosy gave them a blast at 3/4 time and it didn't work - he said "it must've gone in one ear and out the other".

It took seven years for Rocket to grow stale, and now you're trying to tell me that the players are already bored with Roosy after a year and a half? Just what was going through their minds?

Rather than chewing them out after the poor performance, Mum suggested getting them all in a room together, where Roosy asks each of them to get up and tell everyone what their thoughts were during the game. Not a bad idea as clearly their minds weren't on the job.

It's incredible that a team that finished 3rd last year has gone backwards so quickly (well, not as quickly as Collingwood - but then they have a very very thin list don't they Mick?)

They've got to get that self-belief back that they had in 2003, and even showed this year to some extent in the last quarter against Geelong and even coming back in the first quarter against the Roos. Would footage from the QF win against Port inspire them? Maybe. But the first step is to make sure everyone is heading in the same direction. I just hope they can play closer to their abilities at some stage this season before it becomes a waste.

[NMWBloods]

Re: "In one ear and out the other"

Originally posted by sydfan83
It took seven years for Rocket to grow stale, and now you're trying to tell me that the players are already bored with Roosy after a year and a half? Just what was going through their minds?

Yeah, that had me a bit worried!

Rather than chewing them out after the poor performance, Mum suggested getting them all in a room together, where Roosy asks each of them to get up and tell everyone what their thoughts were during the game. Not a bad idea as clearly their minds weren't on the job.

I often think that would be a good idea. May at least get them focussed and responsible.

[liz]

Re: "In one ear and out the other"

Originally posted by sydfan83

I was stunned to read this in today's SMH from Stuey Maxfield that Roosy gave them a blast at 3/4 time and it didn't work - he said "it must've gone in one ear and out the other".

If the players aren't executing the game plan they've been asked to use, I can think of 4 possible reasons (others may come up with others)

1 They don't understand it
2 They understand it but don't believe in it
3 They don't have the skills / ability to execute it
4 They don't care about being successful

I refuse to believe it is no 4, and while no 3 must be considered, we know from last year that they at least have the skills to execute any game plan better than they did yesterday (even allowing for injuries).

So that leaves 1 or 2, unless others can suggest alternative reasons.

[DST]

Re: Re: "In one ear and out the other"

Originally posted by lizz
If the players aren't executing the game plan they've been asked to use, I can think of 4 possible reasons (others may come up with others)

1 They don't understand it
2 They understand it but don't believe in it
3 They don't have the skills / ability to execute it
4 They don't care about being successful

I refuse to believe it is no 4, and while no 3 must be considered, we know from last year that they at least have the skills to execute any game plan better than they did yesterday (even allowing for injuries).

So that leaves 1 or 2, unless others can suggest alternative reasons.

None of the above..............

How about simply a lot of players are out of form and the team as a whole have gone back into their shells and are playing self preservation football.

DST

[liz]

Re: Re: Re: "In one ear and out the other"

Originally posted by DST
None of the above..............

How about simply a lot of players are out of form and the team as a whole have gone back into their shells and are playing self preservation football.

DST

Isn't that an observation, though, rather than an explanation of why? They can't all have forgotten how to kick a football, or how to run, since the Manuka game.

[Nico]

Re: Re: "In one ear and out the other"

Originally posted by lizz
If the players aren't executing the game plan they've been asked to use, I can think of 4 possible reasons (others may come up with others)

1 They don't understand it
2 They understand it but don't believe in it
3 They don't have the skills / ability to execute it
4 They don't care about being successful

I refuse to believe it is no 4, and while no 3 must be considered, we know from last year that they at least have the skills to execute any game plan better than they did yesterday (even allowing for injuries).

So that leaves 1 or 2, unless others can suggest alternative reasons.

Lizz,

Have you considered that it IS their game plan, and it is the game plan that is the problem. Just watched a bit of On The Couch where it was suggested that if we keep the same GAME PLAN we won't beat too any tams.They said, "what has happened to the free flowing run off half back of last year".

Food for thought.

[dawson]

5. Roos is being out coached.

[liz]

Re: Re: Re: "In one ear and out the other"

Originally posted by Nico
Lizz,

Have you considered that it IS their game plan, and it is the game plan that is the problem. Just watched a bit of On The Couch where it was suggested that if we keep the same GAME PLAN we won't beat too any tams.They said, "what has happened to the free flowing run off half back of last year".

Food for thought.

Didn't Roos say in his aftermatch press conference that the team wasn't executing the game plan they had been asked to, though?

Some quotes from the AFL match report

'A clearly frustrated Roos spoke rather animatedly to his players at the final break, urging them to remember his instructions prior to the match and again at halftime.

?We put things in place and I explained it to them again.

?They were not carried out so I was just trying to get across whether the blokes just didn?t really understand? I was just trying to get my point across on how we are actually trying to play the game.? '

http://sydneyswans.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=147839

[Go Swannies]

I would love to know what his instructions were. I can't believe he told them to kick to the boundaries and bottle the ball up at clearances and slow down play when behind on the scoreboard.

What do you reckon he said?

And why didn't they do it? I think option 5 is timidity - no-one wants to be the one to lose the game and by doing this there is no-one (with a few exceptions) putting their neck on the line to win the game.

And it's not stupidity or a lack of understanding. I've been impressed by the greater level of smarts in the Swans cf other teams. And our coach is no dumby either . . .

Well, there's always next week.

[DST]

Re: Re: Re: Re: "In one ear and out the other"

Originally posted by lizz
Isn't that an observation, though, rather than an explanation of why? They can't all have forgotten how to kick a football, or how to run, since the Manuka game.

It is often talked about in the football world that 90% of the game is played above the head.

If you can make it onto an AFL list you know pretty well they you can kick, handball, run and mark. Granted some do it better than others but by in large outside a teams top 6 or 7 players the lists are pretty even.

What interests me however is how a a player on their own and as a team react to different situations.

Self preservation football is not the loss of ability, it is the break down in the cohesion of the unit. Things like:

* do I trust the bloke next to me to beat his player one on one and run forward to make space and accept the ball
* do I leave my man to create a contest, will someone bust their guts to get back and cover for me
* do I run wide to get the easy kick to get my stats up
* do I kick it wide and play it safe so I don't turn over the ball

With individual form comes confidence in yourself and the man next to you and ultimately effective cohesion of the team and it's game plan.

DST

[Diego]

Its the game plan.

It's the same game plan Eade used to have and back then the players didn't really understand it.

The same is happening again.

And doesn't help that most teams have figured us out. As I said the Geelong game and how bomber Thompson worked us out, with help from cressa, has set the catalyst how teams come out and play us.

Roos and Co should be more flexible with the players and let them go back to playing their own game. Leave rotations. That was Eades tactic and it used to piss me off. How are players suppose to gain confidence during a game if they are given short spurts

meh.

[DST]

Originally posted by Diego
Its the game plan.

It's the same game plan Eade used to have and back then the players didn't really understand it.

The same is happening again.

And doesn't help that most teams have figured us out. As I said the Geelong game and how bomber Thompson worked us out, with help from cressa, has set the catalyst how teams come out and play us.

Roos and Co should be more flexible with the players and let them go back to playing their own game. Leave rotations. That was Eades tactic and it used to piss me off. How are players suppose to gain confidence during a game if they are given short spurts

meh.

I am sorry Diego but I don't agree with you on that.

If you lined all 16 clubs and their game plans side by side they would look almost identical, no one has worked our game plan out they have been effectively implementing it themselves.

After all, it is only 18 blokes against another 18 blokes trying to get a ball through two big sticks.

The game plan has not changed from last year either, what has changed is that most of our players are so out of form we have not been able to implement it for any length of time, thus renderign us useless at present.

DST

[TheHood]

I seriously hope that Roosy's game plan, whatever that was on Sunday was to avoid that second or third hand pass at those endless stoppages in the wet conditions.

NOT SKILL ERRORS, JUST SHEER STUPIDITY!

They did not respect the Tigers onball brigade to wear them so tightly and consequently they forced the error which was either another ball up or blatant turn over and sweet delivery to Richo.

When we finally did break from the stoppage, there was no direct delivery to Baz and co (rare delivery anyway) and the skill errors were in the kicks that grubbered and skewed and slid into and aound the 50.

SKILL ERRORS AND SHEER STUPIDITY!

[Go Swannies]

Originally posted by Diego
Its the game plan.

It's the same game plan Eade used to have and back then the players didn't really understand it.
.

If what we saw was Roos' game plan then why was he upset that he hadn't followed it? If what we saw was what he planned then they followed it perfectly. But he says it wasn't. Was he lying or did he tell them to play a different game than the one they produced.

Unless he added a bit about winning the game - and that was the bit that they missed.

[Bear]

My view is that Roos' game plan is to avoid contested situations almost at all costs, so this leads to players going wide to easy options... giving the opposition plenty of time to flood our forward line and prevent us from scoring many goals.

If this is the game plan it is short-sighted and a dead-end.

If it is not the game plan, he is not getting the players to do as he says.

Either way, I wish he would focus on this rather than use excuses like umpires and individual players (AG).