Tactics for 2013

[Vazelos]

It will be interesting how Watters sets up his team in 2013 in terms of general style of play philosophically.

The balance between defence & attack & the ability to implement this effectively will be the key to success & failure.

The old saints football needs to be implemented at some capacity if we are to beat the top teams with the monster key forwards.

Collective defending, limiting 1v1 isolation is going to limit the damage we were exposed to at times last year eg Tigers & Cats maulings.

Our mid field will be competitive but lacks the elite A Grader to be top line but where we can really expose teams is the depth we have in our fast forwards.

If we give these forwards space on the break & in transition from defence & attack we can really hurt teams.

Milne, Saad, TDL, Milera & Schneider complimenting Riewoldt, Maister & Tommy Lee is a multi faceted forward line throwing in a resting pinch hitting

ruckman at times & we can really hurt teams.

What Lyon Saints teams were brilliant at was understanding the tempo of games, when to strike, when to keep structures tight & slow down the tempo of a

match & take the sting out of an opposition when they had gained momentum in an arm wrestle.

It will be interesting to see which teams we match up on well & which we wont.

[mr six o'clock]

My favourite tactics are
get the ball
kick it to someone wearing red,white&black
kick it through the big sticks

however your points are all valid !

[Vazelos]

Yes Mr six o clock, there is a famous quote in the world game, ' Football is a simple game to play it is just not that easy to play it simple effectively.'

[sainter#4]

I think the key to our success - will be the forward press/pressure

Those small forwards of ours - Saad, Milne, TDL, Milera and schneider

Have to excel at locking the ball into our forward 50 or if they cant then they must put enough pressure on the rebound so that they can slow the play down - allowing us to cover the space.

Under Scotty last year our press started alot higher up then under previous years under ross so thats why i think this is the key - a similar style or press to the 10' 11' magpies.

As a Unit - Our back 6 is strong. Its just that last year the lack of pressure at times culminated in big forwards 1 out and thus taking advantage.

Something i also saw more of in the NAB Cup which i home continues - Was the long kick.

We as a collective tried over and over again to bring the ball from one side of the ground to the other to allow us to move/draw the zone and kick it long.

Our team has a number of long kicks - dempster, gwilt, siposs, fisher, Newnes, Dal etc

Let them break a line and launch them - put the pressure right back onto the opposition and give mcevoy, kosi, roo, maister etc a chance one out and a small forwards a chance to crumb.

[saintspremiers]

It's about player development this year. It's not about beating the top sides. Simple.

[bergholt]

My favourite tactics are
get the ball
kick it to someone wearing red,white&black
kick it through the big sticks

I'm glad you're not our coach! Danny Frawley was the last coach who tried that, I think - didn't work too well for him.

[Saints43]

My favourite tactics are
get the ball
kick it to someone wearing red,white&black
kick it through the big sticks

I'm glad you're not our coach! Danny Frawley was the last coach who tried that, I think - didn't work too well for him.

He should have tried:

get the ball
kick it to someone wearing yellow&black
kick it through the big sticks

[thejiggingsaint]

GOLD!!! What a great thread! I'm excited about the coming season, (even allowing for the fact that I'll miss half of it ) nice to see us without a whole lot of expectation to deal with, but rather a season of watching the side develop into one that will shake up the comp come 2014-15

[bergholt]

He should have tried:

get the ball
kick it to someone wearing yellow&black
kick it through the big sticks

Fair point! Maybe that was his problem...

[avid]

My favourite tactics are
get the ball
kick it to someone wearing red,white&black
kick it through the big sticks

I'm glad you're not our coach! Danny Frawley was the last coach who tried that, I think - didn't work too well for him.

He should have tried:

get the ball
kick it to someone wearing yellow&black
kick it through the big sticks

Please let's not play this strategy in round 2