Honestly, posts like this give me the absolute $#*&%. Do you honestly think that my pleasure, and that of my fellow saints supporters, at getting to see the football team that I barrack for play in the grand final, two years in a row, contributes to a "loser culture" and that is the reason why we lost those Grand Finals. Perhaps we just lost to better teams on the day.AnythingsPossibleSaints wrote:Here here.WinnersOnly wrote:North got the ascendancy because RL at 3/4 time went into lock down mode. He did not back his team to play attacking football and win game of their own initiative. He would rather win it by defensivley by locking the game down. This causes our players to go into their shells and no one is prepared to take the game on. This hands the opposition the momentum and causes untold pressure on our defensive line.SainterK wrote:Ok I'll respond.
How about North in the last, we weren't just running around without an opposition?
How did you suggest the Saints counteract the fact that they got the ascendency?
It wasn't Dal, Joey, Steven, Armo that pushed back, they were still in the middle, just North lifted and started smashing us in the clearances.
Smart footy is recognising that, and trying to limit the damage.
What was the alternative?
Against the better 2011 teams we have been found wanting badly when attempting to lock the games down and have been over run badly. The 2011 SAINTS need to back their aibilities and run, attack the opposition not go into their shells.
All those lining up to bag him who seemingly think just winning is all that matters in games like that is kidding themselves. They all would have been the same ones who defended Lyon to the hilt in the past couple of years when some were critical of how defensive we were, but ultimately what did it get us?
What do we have to show for it? I'm sure many will now line up to tell me how "close" we got, as if getting close is what we were all aiming for, but that just sums the "loser culture" of this club up perfectly. This is why we don't win premierships, because so many at this club think getting "close" equals success. And when you're happy to settle for that, it's no wonder we don't win flags, as teams who really are successful don't settle for anything less than the best and eventually push us aside (1997, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010 anyone?).
We've now been well and truly worked out and as WO said, the better teams have generally run all over us this year, playing the way we did yesterday and will continue to do so if we happen to make the finals, playing that way. I mean North almost did yesterday, at our favourite ground and they're a long way off the best teams. North were on a winning roll, but who did they beat during that time? The likes of Port Adelaide, Gold Coast, Essendon when they were in their slump, etc. Big deal. They were nothing but a middle of the road team. We are miles off it.
At least WO is looking at the big picture, not just desperately craving every little win, as though it's the only thing that gives meaning to his life.
I hate to break it to you, but this is a 16-17-18 team competition, and it is quite difficult to win a flag. If the only reason you watch football is to see a premiership, then you are going to have plenty of frustrating times ahead. Ross Lyon has done amazing things with this football club, and having just finished watching last nights game again, I fail to see how his coaching was in any way insufficient last night. We should have kicked three or four in the last, but for some skill errors, and players getting run down in our Fwd50, most likely partially due to fatigue.
Personally I like watching our team play finals. If you want to watch a team play occasionally exciting footy, but constantly miss out on finals, go barrack for Richmond. They have played in a finals series once in the last 15 years, but they do play some attacking footy on occasion. I will continue to watch the saints and hope they win each week, take the losses when they come, and continue to hope for a premiership. If it doesn't come, it doesn't come, me whinging on the internet certainly isn't going to change it.
