Lyon slams critics

[valkorum]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/137361/default.aspx

FREMANTLE coach Ross Lyon says he has heard the recent criticism of his game plan "all before" and his coaching record at St Kilda was justification for his methods.   

[BGK]

So 9 rounds in Valk, who would you rather have as coach, Harvey or Lyon? Are you happy with what Lyon has done to the Dockers?

[valkorum]

Lyon.

I stand strong with the clubs decision and the direction we are trying to move forward with.  Everyone's banging on how the "gameplan" is too defensive but I look at it this way:  Who wins a game of football?  The team that scores more than their opponents.

You have 2 ways of going about this

Attacking - out gun your opponents
Defensive - make your opponents score less than you.

Looking at the team list we dont have a team that can blow away teams on the scoreboard but our backline has always been strong.  Why not use that as our strength to win games (and be in the contest of games) while the whole new coaching panel (3 of 5 assistants are new to club, with other 2 assistants only in the job for 1 and 2 years) are teaching the structures they want them to play.

From defense you create offense - at this stage the team hasn't learnt that yet.  Keep in mind it is only round 9 and the gameplan is completely different to Harvey's so it's gonna take some time to learn and implement well.

Considering the team hasn't completely learnt the structures and game plan and we are still sitting 5-4 - I will take that.  The media has blown it out of proportion because we lost our structures in the last 2 games and got blown out of the water (and the fact that Ross Lyon is the coach and the perception of his time at St Kilda).

At the Saints they were in the top 5 for scoring and defense - normally #1 for defense but everyone only remembers the defense cos it's a good story in the media.

[ossie85]

I agree Valk, that defense should be the first thing developed, and an offense should be built on that.

Sydney and St. Kilda however built really strong defenses, but you wouldn't say either had strong offenses as far as scoring capacity goes. Yet Sydney won 1 flag and lost another (could have been 2 wins, could have been 2 loses), while the Saints lost two flags they were also very close to winning.

Trying not to be bias, but Collingwood seems the best example of a team that turned defense into an offensive weapon.

I like Freo. Thought it was terrible how Harvey was treated, but that's in the past, and teams should move on.

Lyon's defensive record, and overall record, speaks for itself. But he does not have a great record for offense. Given Freo sit in the bottom 4 for points scored - in front of 3 teams that have won 1 game between them - doesn't change my mind on Lyon's weakness here.

BUT Freo are a good team, and Lyon is a good coach.

[valkorum]

The weakness lies in our midfield

Barlow - Underdone after serious injury
Mundy - Underdone after serious injury
Fyfe - Injured
Morabito - Building up fitness in WAFL after injury
Lower - Building up fitness in WAFL after injury

IMO they are all starters and 3 aren't in the current team.  This leaves the likes of Mzungu, Pearce, Broughton, Neale, Balla, Pav, Crowley, Crichton and JVB to be our prime midfielders - and people wonder why our structures are breaking down.  If we had the above 5 all playing then the likes of Pav, Balla and Neale can push forward more often where they are dangerous.

Then we have a bunch of youngsters who haven't played much in Pitt, Sheridan, Forster and Michie (been injured a lot) and Rookies (Menegola, Roberts and Spurr).

There is lots of potential there but no clear cut winners who are fit and able to play at 100%.

We all know how good Barlow and Mundy are be but we havent see that this year, Fyfe is a superstar but is out injured, Lower showed last year he is a tough inside mid but is still working his way back and Morabito has shown he has the talent to be anything but has been out of the game for over a year.

Then you have Hill who is getting tagged week in, week out.  If we had a fully fit Barlow, Mundy and Fyfe I think you will find that Hill wont get tagged as hard/often.  This then allows him to open up and do what he does best - burst away and deliver lace out to the forwards.

[ossie85]

Injuries are always tough. Unfortunately people are - rightly or wrongly - going to blame Freo's player management given this is the 3rd year in a row of serious injuries. Could well just be bad luck