So what would you do...

[Vivien]

If you were Paul Roos?

Sensible answers, please.

This Saturday's game is must-win for the Swans (thank you captain obvious!) So what are you going to do, as the manager and mentor of a sporting organisation that is lacking in direction, consistency and confidence, to get up for the big game?

If I were Paul Roos - and thank goodness for all of our sakes that I'm not, cos I would probably do a lousy job - I'd probably just get back to basics - train the players to do the simple things well and practise basic skills like kcking for goal, taking contested marks, tackling hard etc. I'd also probably try to break out of the usual routine, do things differently. The team needs to see this week as a fresh start - don't worry about what's happened in weeks past, and don't start thinking about what might happen in the next few weeks if we keep losing, just concentrate on this match.

More importantly though, I would encourage the players to back themselves and have confidence in their ability. We know this side can win and win well, we've just forgotten how to do it. If we play as a team, play with desparation, and do the simple things well we will go a long way toward putting ourselves in a position whare we can win.

But I'd be interested to hear what others say as most of you are more qualified than I to speak on such matters, and all I've said above is probably bollocks.

[floppinab]

We are completely devoid of risk taking at the moment. I said it in another thread I'd like to see a bit of positional risk taking.

Put Bazza up on a wing for a half and go a short forward line, Schneids, Davis, MOL and Ablett. It might not work but it might, take a risk.

I'd also stop using the interchange so heavily. We are heaviest interchangers in the league. Put some the youngsters in a position and give them a half of footy to experience it there. The high rotations are hurting our footy IMO.

[NMWBloods]

I wrote somewhere else what I'd like to see.

In a nutshell, run a proper forward line of 5 players. Leave 2 of them I50 permanently. Leave another 2 no further than midway at any stage.

Leave a permanent FP to crumb at Hall's feet. Play Hall between FF and CHF - get the ball in quick to him.

Play man-on-man football rather than zoning and flooding.

Look to go more direct and if in doubt kick to a contest. Players get to a contest and a couple scout the pack for crumbs or for clearances.

Leave midfielders in position for a decent amount of time to let them get comfortable.

Essentially, football basics.

[RogueSwan]

Originally posted by NMWBloods

Leave a permanent FP to crumb at Hall's feet. Play Hall between FF and CHF - get the ball in quick to him.

Exactly, most teams do this, don't they?

I can't understand why the Swans don't. (Amongst alot of other things I don't understand ). I thought that is what Schnieder would/should be doing. It worked a couple of years ago.

[ScottH]

Further on from what bloods said, contested marks!!

And "Hit" the ball forward in the centre contests rather than tap it to a pack. (worked against Brisbane). If the ball is going forward it makes it easier to run onto.

[RogueSwan]

Originally posted by ScottH
Further on from what bloods said, contested marks!!

And "Hit" the ball forward in the centre contests rather than tap it to a pack. (worked against Brisbane). If the ball is going forward it makes it easier to run onto.

And have a designated runner to running through/forward of the pack on the chance that it flies out that way. Unfortunately this was what Willo is great at and no one has stepped up to take his place. Maybe Goodes if he is allowed to play follower?

[Schneiderman]

Nathan Brown commented on Richo on the Couch last night. He said that Wallace had instructed Richo to stay in the zone between the 50m arc and the goal square, and in the centre of the ground.

I would argue Barry is as good a mark as Richo, and a better kick. This would be sound advice for him. Leave the goal square and leads to the pockets to Mickie, and place Schneider for the whole game at Bazza's feet.

[NMWBloods]

Hall is a much better kick than Richo, but Richo is a much better contested mark.

[Sanecow]

I agree with Vivien / NMWBloods approach. I also agree with a comment made elsewhere on the boards that the players should "own" their positions and the rotations should be cut down (obviously if a player is getting beaten you might tweak the matchups, but none of that playing half a game in the backline, half in the midfield stuff (the Toohey manouever)). If we change to more simple game plan, there will be less of the exhausting play formerly known as flooding and the team can settle down.

I suspect the "stick with LRT" experiment has a deadline sometime during this year. If it doesn't, I would drop him to the ressies and give someone else a shot.

[giant]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
Hall is a much better kick than Richo, but Richo is a much better contested mark.

Hall's also more mobile - last year he spent a lot of time at CHF and was All Aussie.

I don't mind him leaving the I50 as long as there is a plan whereby other people will kick the goals while he's doing it.

[ugg]

Stop having so many "run-with" midfielders who are more concerned with tackling their man rather than getting the ball.

[footyhead]

Concentrate more on attacking football, play the kids, pick the team on form, (so a host of the current starting 22 need to be dropped, including the Captain), give eveybody notice that if they do not perform this year they may well not be with the team in 06.

Have a proper clean out at the end of the year, and rebuild this team around Barry Hall, Adam Goodes, Luke Abblett (maybe might be too early to tell), Davis and Jolly.

[Bron]

I would stop saying that the player group were no good. I think that this is a major reason behind our lack of confidence.

I am disappointed to hear that Roos thinks we don't have any stars, yet we had a strong contingent in the International series. OK, not everyone got there on first pick, but our guys had to have been in the top 30 picks to get a gig. That means they are recognised as better than average players.

If you tell people that they are no good, then they will start to be no good. (Simple test, try this in any environment.)

I think that his intention was to reinforce the need for team play .... where we've done so well in the past (think the Port final 20 months ago ....) amongst others, but that it's gone too far.

On this basis, we're afraid to go to a contest (our guys aren't good, the others are better), afraid to show some flair (they're better than us), afraid to do anything attacking (we're up against it, we need to close them down).

We need to find ways to improve the confidence and self-belief. I still remember the Brisbane preliminary final 2 years ago. In the 4th quarter, I seriously believe, there was a group think of "oh @@@@, we're winning, we're beating the unbeatables, we'll be in the grand final, this can't be true" and it wasn't.

Secondly, if guys aren't following the game plan, they need to be dropped, to reinforce the message that they need to follow it. Give someone else an opportunity, particularly the young guys. Let the guys fight for their spots. A month ago, we had more players than we needed to field a team and we were happy with our depth. We still do (except for ruckmen!). Use that depth.

(I seem to recall a thread about trialling a year or so each youngster for 3 - 4 weeks at a time, then cycle them out ... this would be good. We get to see them, they get a chance to settle, we may find some gems.)

And the game plan has to be more about "up the guts". We need to be sending the ball up the centre of the ground and give Bazza better positions to shoot for goal. We need crumbers around him to pick up any discards.

Position our players in their strengths. Goodes in ruck. Bazza at CHF. Leapin' and Tadhg (after a week or two out) further up the field to get the run out of defence. Get Schaubs on the field. Davis in the midfield.

Finally, improve our leadership position. You need to lead on and off the field. If you can't do both, step down Stewie, even if temporarily (not sure if this will work). The Club has been caring and supportive, but we also need someone in the role of captain who can be there 100%.

We have a good team. We have some impressive players. We can be very competitive. We need to make some changes to achieve our potential.

It's tough, when you're under attack, it's easier to defend (look at the team), than take the high ground. We need to be stronger and braver. We need to recapture our commitment, our resolve and our confidence.

[NMWBloods]

Really good points Bron.

[Nico]

I would start Dempster on the ball and use him as a midfielder out of the centre bounces.

He showed in the last quarter that he has good agility, "keeps his feet", quick reflexes, reads the play, finds the footy and he CAN kick. Quick out of the centre with deep kicks to the top of the square is what we need. Only has to do it 3-4 times to have an affect.

He has the perfect build for a midfielder with pace to burn. He doesn't have to be the in and under type. Hell Judd plays that dashing midfielder role and is no midget.