Blame senior players for inconsistency: Roos

[GoRhino]

Blame senior players for inconsistency: Roos

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos says senior players must shoulder the blame for the side's inconsistency

[stellation]

It can't be the coaching, no sir!

[dimelb]

It can't be the coaching, no sir!

Well, he actually says that's part of it:
"They need to take responsibility as well, the younger fellas. That?s a coaching thing that we?ve got to get across to them, that there?s some non-negotiables,? he said.

[Nico]

In retrospect and talking to a few people since Saturday the consensus is our game plan doesn't work in the wet when it rains most of the game and is slippery. We persisted in going short and hand passing when a big kick deep into the forward line would probably been a better plan. The more you handle the ball on a wet day the more the margin for error.

Sure Brisbane got 2 and 3 players back but that was because they could see were were not pushing players forward. Easy pickings when we rushed a kick in or had no other option but to boot it long under pressure. Maybe that is an area that Stellation is talking about.

He is right on one thing. There were a number of senior players who were right out of it.

Still can't get over McVeigh on Johnstone and being dragged to their goals. One positive player out of the picture, QED.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

In retrospect and talking to a few people since Saturday the consensus is our game plan doesn't work in the wet when it rains most of the game and is slippery. We persisted in going short and hand passing when a big kick deep into the forward line would probably been a better plan. The more you handle the ball on a wet day the more the margin for error.

Sure Brisbane got 2 and 3 players back but that was because they could see were were not pushing players forward. Easy pickings when we rushed a kick in or had no other option but to boot it long under pressure. Maybe that is an area that Stellation is talking about.

He is right on one thing. There were a number of senior players who were right out of it.

Still can't get over McVeigh on Johnstone and being dragged to their goals. One positive player out of the picture, QED.

I'm sorry, but I don't like Kirk as a tagger either. We need him diving under the packs showing his teammates what putting your body on the line is about.

JF

[liz]

I'm sorry, but I don't like Kirk as a tagger either. We need him diving under the packs showing his teammates what putting your body on the line is about.

JF

Kirk is always going to be playing tight on someone, but I do agree that he seems to have been far more focussed on the defensive side of his game thus far this season than the attacking side. It may be that Mitchell and Black are the two players in the comp he most sets himself to negate - they are almost the perfect opponents for him because they accumulate at will and can be very damaging when on song. Hopefully we'll start to see more manic attack on the ball from him in the upcoming weeks.

[Mr Magoo]

McVeigh wasnt getting any possessions so they had him tagging someone who was in Johnstone. Shouldnt have went to the goal square with him though. Thats just bad midfield coaching.

As for Kirk, he wasnt tagging in round one and looked terrible so maybe they thought it better to get him back to basics in a tagging role.

Generally midfield were terrible and gameplan was not adjusted to the wet conditions.

[royboy42]

Crouch was doing a pretty good job on Johnstone before he got the hammy..it was cos of the necessary restructure that McVeigh got the job.

[reigning premier]

In retrospect and talking to a few people since Saturday the consensus is our game plan doesn't work in the wet when it rains most of the game and is slippery. We persisted in going short and hand passing when a big kick deep into the forward line would probably been a better plan. The more you handle the ball on a wet day the more the margin for error.

Sure Brisbane got 2 and 3 players back but that was because they could see were were not pushing players forward. Easy pickings when we rushed a kick in or had no other option but to boot it long under pressure. Maybe that is an area that Stellation is talking about.

He is right on one thing. There were a number of senior players who were right out of it.

Still can't get over McVeigh on Johnstone and being dragged to their goals. One positive player out of the picture, QED.

Concur on the wet thing... As soon as it stopped raining, we started getting on top.

[ernie koala]

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos says senior players must shoulder the blame for the side's inconsistency

He also attributes the inconsistency to "the influx of young players" Yeah right, Meridith. Roos just can't help himself, he has this deluded notion that the Swans play more kids than other teams. The reality is we play less than nearly all teams. The only teams I can think of that play less kids are Geelong (for obvious reasons) and St Kilda.

[desredandwhite]

How on earth did they get that headline?

While Roos attributed his team?s inconsistency to an influx of younger players in the side, he said the club?s leaders needed to bear the brunt of any criticism.

That doesn't translate to "Blame senior players for inconsistency".

The younger kids will be a bit inconsistent in their performances. Okay, nothing really wrong with that statement.

The senior players must cop the criticism for the overall performance. Okay, that seems fine to me too. The leaders need to be accountable for the result - 5-6 kids might be a bit up and down but it's up to the likes of Kirk and Goodes and Hall to step up, give a bit of guidance to the kids and lead by example.

I think some people here are reading a bit more from that article than there is. Roosy's statement is, as always, completely factual while giving nothing away.

[Old Royboy]

Young players can be inconsistant because they are physically and mentally immature. Old players can be inconsistant because they are physically and mentally worn out. Any other player can be inconsistant if he is mentally frail, unhappy, poorly motivated or playing with injury.

These factors apply to every team in the comp, though those teams with the highest number in the "prime" 23-29" age bracket are likely to suffer the least.

What I have seen from the Swans is that the degree of inconsistancy has increased as the percentage of players in the senior citizen and <50 games categories has increased.

Only the very best coaches can keep their players motivated and at their mental best year after year. For most there is eventually a "use by" date where the best solution is to recruit a new coach. Roos is well aware of this - and has stated as much many times in the past.

[AnnieH]

I think it's just Roosey's way of saying they sucked ... all of them.

[Mr Magoo]

At the moment the biggest concern is not the young kids and its not the aging stars , its the group in the middle.

None of them seem to step up if the older brigade fail to lead the way . By that I mean , when the going gets tough if kirk, hall , bolton , goodes, okeefe start to look out of sorts, I am yet this year to see the likes of Bevan, Ablett, Malceski, Moore, Richards etc grab the game by the scruff of the neck or [provide any sort of spark. It almost seems like they go "oh well" kirky, goodes and hall arent firing so we're no chance. Its about the guys from this "middle" group promoted to the leadership group started to show the leadership qualities they seem to think they have.

[goswannie14]

At the moment the biggest concern is not the young kids and its not the aging stars , its the group in the middle.

None of them seem to step up if the older brigade fail to lead the way . By that I mean , when the going gets tough if kirk, hall , bolton , goodes, okeefe start to look out of sorts, I am yet this year to see the likes of Bevan, Ablett, Malceski, Moore, Richards etc grab the game by the scruff of the neck or [provide any sort of spark. It almost seems like they go "oh well" kirky, goodes and hall arent firing so we're no chance. Its about the guys from this "middle" group promoted to the leadership group started to show the leadership qualities they seem to think they have.

How closely do you watch the games? Richards was trying to do that in the first round, and Ablett has only played one game....against Hawthorn!