This weeks banner^...

[ROK Lobster]

... is a disgrace. So is RWO at the moment. The constant bagging of a coach who took us to premiership glory, and only lost a second grand final by a point, is atrocious. You are as bad as Richmond supporters. No wonder the team is going so bad with all the negativity. You make me sick, just waiting to get on RWO and slip the boot in. Roos is a genius. I don't know what the collective agenda is, but get over it. I remember when RWO was for the real fans...

[ugg]

How do you know I wasn't referring to Paul Bevan?

[swantastic]

... is a disgrace. So is RWO at the moment. The constant bagging of a coach who took us to premiership glory, and only lost a second grand final by a point, is atrocious. You are as bad as Richmond supporters. No wonder the team is going so bad with all the negativity. You make me sick, just waiting to get on RWO and slip the boot in. Roos is a genius. I don't know what the collective agenda is, but get over it. I remember when RWO was for the real fans...

Pot,Kettle,Black

[goswannie14]

... is a disgrace. So is RWO at the moment. The constant bagging of a coach who took us to premiership glory, and only lost a second grand final by a point, is atrocious. You are as bad as Richmond supporters. No wonder the team is going so bad with all the negativity. You make me sick, just waiting to get on RWO and slip the boot in. Roos is a genius. I don't know what the collective agenda is, but get over it. I remember when RWO was for the real fans...

ROFLMAO

Funniest post I have read on here for a while, keep it up ROK!

[Legs Akimbo]

Here's a banner suggestion instead...

We love you McVeigh, even though you are @@@@
Mathews our love child our own bull with tits
@@@@ off Laidlaw you god damned pretender
Schmidt enjoy the game, its the last you'll remember

[satchmopugdog]

How do you know I wasn't referring to Paul Bevan?

Or Keating....."It's the @@@@season we had to have"

[ROK Lobster]

ROFLMAO

Funniest post I have read on here for a while, keep it up ROK!

It's funny though. In the past, when I have questioned Roos decision making abilities, his reluctance to blood youngsters and his favourtism for certain players, his lack of imagination and match day coaching, the crap he drivels at press conferences and to the Tele during the week, and the folly of allowing the leadership group to be instrumental in picking the team, I have for the most part been, been abused and reproached (sometimes to the point of near hysteria) by the RWO masses. When others noticed similar things in Roos last season conspiracy theories floated, and I was accused of leading an anti-Roos clique (and there was even an suggestion of a connection with the brown-shirted SSI). Now, however, it seems quite fashionable to slip the boot in to Roos. Well, anyone who is now giving him a hard time, after lambasting me for the previous 2 seasons, is hypocritical to say the least. All that has changed are the results. At least I called it as I saw it when we were doing well. As soon as things turn a little sour (and 2007 is not completely done with yet) out come the knockers and whingers. Hence the Richmond supporter reference. Fair weather supporters thick and thin.

I believe, and have for a while, that Roos is leading us to a point where he (and his leadership group) will exit within a season of each other and the Swans will spend considerable time in the wilderness under the leadership of McVeigh ( ) and the coaching team of Longmire and Crouch (who will try to do it Roos style for 3 years before they abandon it and rebuild). Roos has always coached for the short term (and I believe for himself). He put an exit strategy in place a long time ago, so can walk when things get tough. The leadership group are a clique within the club who will leave pretty much contempraneously. Roos' biggest error was not realising that he did not have another year in the tank (or another miracle year with injuries up his sleeve), and that an ageing ruck man was not going to be enough to get them back to the top.

I have always said that Roos is a good coach. I have never thought him the messiah that some others have. I think he changed the game. I think that others have responded now, and that Roos does not have another rabbit in his hat. I am saddened to think that perhpas he is chasing another cup (and will likely fall short) rather than accepting that he achived one, narrowly missed another, and that if he does not have another 3 years in him as a coach his best legacy may be to rebuild (and make a few tough decisions, end a few careers) and give his successor a team of players that are heading towards a cusp, rather than hand over an inexperienced, leaderless group. These last words are probably a little harsh, and I am sure that Roos does think that he has the best interests of the club at heart, it seems to me that he may have it wrong. It has seemed that way for a while to me. Anyone who gets on the "anti-Roos bandwagon" should be able to articulate why. To simply jump on because we are 6 and 7 simply gives me the @@@@s. It is what the fair weather folk do. No doubt I'll see you at the game, clapping the odd behind

[Nico]

I dont know that we should call it the anti Roos bandwagon but I think that you might have jumped on there marginally before me. I agree with what you said and yes there is a long way to go this season, but what Paul said when he took over as coach and subsequently (with Andy Ireland firmly at his back) he seems to be failing to do.

I look forward to Liz's point of view on this post.

You got one thing wrong though ROK, you spelled the word contemporaneous incorrectly, I know that 'cause I looked it up in the dictionary. My dictionary doesn't give an exact definition of that word but one can work out the meaning from the context of your post. Would you please, respectfully provide the good devotees of RWO of an exact meaning.

Yours faithfully

Nico

[stellation]

I've never questioned Roos

[Danzar]

Hmmmm, this post is a far cry from the original OP but nicely articulated. I can't say I disagree but then, I see nothing wrong with Roos' 'short-term-ism'. If I were the Swans Board back in 02/03, listening to the prospective coaches plans for the club, I would have picked the man who could most assure the Club of a premiership in the short-term over the coach that had long-term plans to build the team.

Why? Well, in addition to the fact that when Roos was appointed coach, it had been nearly 70 years a SSMFC premiership, I believe the team had a short-term window of opportunity to take a premiership. A strong leadership group, a growing support base and some younger players finding form at just the right time. All it took was a carefully conceived plan to shake the season up a bit with an unconventional style of play.

Does this make Roos a genius? Contrary to your first post, no it doesn't but you hit the nail on the head with the second post - it simply makes Roos a good coach, no more no less. He was able to execute using what he had when he became coach not what he made himself (to a point).

Roos has never purported to be a long term coach and therefore he cannot be held responsible if he's not doing so. You can't have your cake and eat it too (you know the drill)........

You can bet your bottom dollar that Roos will continue to make the best out of what he's got and push for another flag with little in the way of forward team building - and then he'll leave having done the job that was expected of him (and done it well).

And, now we have outright premiership and the premiership that almost was, you can bet your bottom dollar that the next coach chosen to replace Roos will be quite the opposite.

The irony is that Roos started out as an interim 'caretaker' coach and in essence, he will finish as one.

Nice post ROK-L. It has helped put things in perspective, at least for me.

[hammo]

Roos delivered the Swans their first premiership in 72 years and for most Swans' fans their first premiership in their lifetime.

He's extracted the most he could have out of a shallow list and by and large bored the @@@@ out of the football world doing it. The fallibility of the Roos gameplan though is on show in 2007 as he fails to properly regenerate the team and adapt the playing style to the new rules and interpretations.

I'm not on any anti-Roos bandwagon, his record speaks for itself.

But those who see him as the messiah should at least try to understand the irony in the fact that our premiership would not have happened except for a quarter of individual brilliance from Nick Davis - the sort of individual, flashy displays Roos tells us are not the path to success.

[ROK Lobster]

But those who see him as the messiah should at least try to understand the irony in the fact that our premiership would not have happened except for a quarter of individual brilliance from Nick Davis - the sort of individual, flashy displays Roos tells us are not the path to success.

That whole quarter is attributable to Kirk, whose stern words following Davis running to stand on the mark after LRT lost his man, inspired Nick, not to greatness, but to work harder, and the exquisite tap work of Jason Ball who placed the ball so perfectly in Davis' lap that it was almost impossible for him not to kick a goal. There was also the superb pass from O'Keefe to Davo's advantage (it was actually a lovely pass) and the brilliantly timed Hall fumble that set up two of the goals. Surely Hammo,you have been around RWO long enough to know that Davo only played a bit part that evening - not much more than a passenger really.

[satchmopugdog]

I thought my post was funny

[swantastic]

That whole quarter is attributable to Kirk, whose stern words following Davis running to stand on the mark after LRT lost his man, inspired Nick, not to greatness, but to work harder, and the exquisite tap work of Jason Ball who placed the ball so perfectly in Davis' lap that it was almost impossible for him not to kick a goal. There was also the superb pass from O'Keefe to Davo's advantage (it was actually a lovely pass) and the brilliantly timed Hall fumble that set up two of the goals. Surely Hammo,you have been around RWO long enough to know that Davo only played a bit part that evening - not much more than a passenger really.

I wouldn't have said that ROK,you need pretty good skills to finish of with those goals,even with a superb pass from ROK or a tap into his lap from Ball he still finished off the job.IMO he didnt play a bit part but an integral part of the game plan.Dont forget the team effort of one Luke Ablett to keep the ball in play.

[Wardy]

That whole quarter is attributable to Kirk, whose stern words following Davis running to stand on the mark after LRT lost his man, inspired Nick, not to greatness, but to work harder, and the exquisite tap work of Jason Ball who placed the ball so perfectly in Davis' lap that it was almost impossible for him not to kick a goal. There was also the superb pass from O'Keefe to Davo's advantage (it was actually a lovely pass) and the brilliantly timed Hall fumble that set up two of the goals. Surely Hammo,you have been around RWO long enough to know that Davo only played a bit part that evening - not much more than a passenger really.

Spot on ROK - (but you already know my views on Roos & the Davis palava) as Nick Davis was the only person capable of kicking goals in that last quarter - he really pulled the rabbit out of a hat. I'm all for the "there is no "I" in team" thing, but Davis should have been given credit BY THE COACH PUBLICLY for what he did on that night. But I never saw it. Davis saved the teams season that night - he deserves the credit.