Give the guys a break

[Wicko26]

I cannot believe how much people pick apart the game. I am also responsible for this but i am attacking a senior player. Give these Young kids a break let them get some experience under there belt so that in a few years time we will be a force.
Wells Petrie Harris Motlop Hale Corey Jones watt , they are our future if we consistantly give them a spray and if laidley does not give them a run how are they to learn. Fair enough Drew has had a dog year, he will learn to cope. Watt had 10 kicked on him and got sprayed he will learn but look at the positives these guys are going to be freak shows in a few years

 

[Thewlis Dish]

They're getting paid to play football, they can cop a bit of a spray from supporters who put their money into the club. Some of it goes over the top I agree and I don't like it either, but at the same time there are times when criticism is warranted.

 

[Shinboners]

Compared to the storm of criticism after our games against Carlton and Adelaide, I reckon that most of the posts about the players and the St.Kilda game have been very, very mild in comparison.

 

[year of the roo]

Watt had 10 kicked on him and got sprayed he will learn but look at the positives these guys are going to be freak shows in a few years

7 of those were when Archer was on Gehrig. Hence why I cannot understand JYD's disappointment with Watt. After the spray he got - regardless of whether it was warranted - he should be fired up and will come out and play a ripper next week.

 

[Woodson]

Re: GUYS MAKE or BREAK Time

Compared to the storm of criticism after our games against Carlton and Adelaide, I reckon that most of the posts about the players and the St.Kilda game have been very, very mild in comparison.

It's sometimes hard to understand why North can come out and play with some sting like they did in the first half on Sunday but against Carlton & Adelaide that sting was barely a cotton bud poke. Goes to show that performances reflect the emotions of the fans.

We have 8 quarters remaining for 2004, the task is simple. WIN x2. Percentage isn't an issue due to the grand performances during the season but to get complacent for one quarter CAN and will cost us all the HARD WORK.

 

[moomba]

They're getting paid to play football, they can cop a bit of a spray from supporters who put their money into the club. Some of it goes over the top I agree and I don't like it either, but at the same time there are times when criticism is warranted.

Does being criticised by your own supporters make anyone play any better?

I wouldn't have thought so, so why bother. Despite my distaste of some of the OTT criticism on this board over the last year, places like here and at the pub are far better places to off your head than at the ground IMO.

 

[jasps1]

The guys actually played well, today on SEN Laidley said "would we have won the game with Leppitsch CHB and Mal Michael FB, and he said the answer was probably yes.
My opinion is we would have given it a fair bloody go with Colbert and Brown back.
That was tough hard footy, our team just was beaten by a better team on the day. I in no way felt bitter about the way the boys played

 

[Twinkletoes]

Originally Posted by jasps1
That was tough hard footy, our team just was beaten by a better team on the day. I in no way felt bitter about the way the boys played

Couldn't agree more jasps1. We made PLENTY of errors, sure. We couldn't cope with their twin forward pillars, Gehrig and Riewoldt, in the absence of Leroy and Colby either, yet we were close to causing an upset for much of the game.

Wellsy learnt another lesson in how it feels to be scragged and tagged frustratingly all day, by Heath Black (who someone should've 'FIXED UP' early on).........................the umpires let Black do whatever he wanted to Wellsy at stoppages. Wellsy will be better for the experience, as I hope will our other players who should've helped out a bit more.

Watto had another lesson in how difficult it is to stop a gun FF. Dish gained more insight into just how hard another up and coming CHF runs and presents all day. Harro once again proved himself on the big stage to be one of the gun clearance guys of the comp.

The Chad and Urchy got a feel for the bigtime and will be better off for it.

We had another peek at Junior's defensive side, marked with a bit of good to see aggression too, when he went back onto the big German. Junior also chased all day as hard as anyone on the ground, despite not gaining it himself. That's a good sign.

Corza played well again. Jess continues his return to some consistency. We were able to hold them for lengthy periods, could/ should have been further in front at times, with a bit of luck.

It's not all bad. Must crush the Dogs, and in so doing, must have everyone up and about for the Brisbane season decider.

Just my thoughts...........

T'toes

 

[utility]

The suspension of Leroy really hurt us... reflecting on his performance against Lynch, I don't think Gehrig would have kicked anywhere near 10 against him. At the end of the day that may have been the difference between us winning and losing against the top team.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Does being criticised by your own supporters make anyone play any better?

I wouldn't have thought so, so why bother. Despite my distaste of some of the OTT criticism on this board over the last year, places like here and at the pub are far better places to off your head than at the ground IMO.

I agree, some of the criticism has been OTT this season, but that doesn't mean players are devoid of it. And anyway, I think criticism is more a case of supporters getting their own frustrations off their chest, players know when they have excelled or aren't pulling their weight, I don't think there is any harm in supporter criticism, It's just a matter of drawing the line in terms of what is warranted and what isn't.

 

[sainters]

The guys actually played well, today on SEN Laidley said "would we have won the game with Leppitsch CHB and Mal Michael FB, and he said the answer was probably yes.
My opinion is we would have given it a fair bloody go with Colbert and Brown back.

I just want to point out that even with Micheal and Leppitch i still think the saints would have won, i feel sorry for Glenn Archer i thought it was more the Kangas midfiekd was to lazy to chase the saints onballers therefore the ball was coming to the G-Train to quick, so no defender would have stopped the G-Train kicking goals. Lets not forget Glenn Archer is a quality defender, i am a saints supporter and Archer is one of my faviorite players. thats just the way i saw it, what does anyone else think...

 

[NeoBlaze]

7 of those were when Archer was on Gehrig. Hence why I cannot understand JYD's disappointment with Watt. After the spray he got - regardless of whether it was warranted - he should be fired up and will come out and play a ripper next week.

...........................and the three odd goals Gehrig "gave off" being the charitable boy he is

 

[Carlos]

I just want to point out that even with Micheal and Leppitch i still think the saints would have won, i feel sorry for Glenn Archer i thought it was more the Kangas midfiekd was to lazy to chase the saints onballers therefore the ball was coming to the G-Train to quick, so no defender would have stopped the G-Train kicking goals. Lets not forget Glenn Archer is a quality defender, i am a saints supporter and Archer is one of my faviorite players. thats just the way i saw it, what does anyone else think...

Yeah probably about right.

Havent watched the game on tape, but at the game i had the feeling our midfield was getting comprehensively beaten, and that your blokes had way too much time and space through the guts.

The stats kinda support that with only Simmo and Harro getting respectable possession tallies for midfielders while your blokes knocked up getting the footy.

That said, i reckon the margain might have been a bit tighter had we had more options in the back half than the make-shift ones we ended up having to go with. Yeah Arch is a gun, but a fullback he is not. And Petrie had a crack, but again he isnt a class CHB.

 

[hurricane]

Havent watched the game on tape, but at the game i had the feeling our midfield was getting comprehensively beaten, and that your blokes had way too much time and space through the guts.

Funnily enough, we were more than competitive in the clinches, and we won more clearances than St Kilda - quite a stat for a side copping such a thrashing.

It was when the ball was being run through the lines that we really struggled to match up.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Funnily enough, we were more than competitive in the clinches, and we won more clearances than St Kilda - quite a stat for a side copping such a thrashing.

It was when the ball was being run through the lines that we really struggled to match up.

Interestingly enough, Harris and Simmo combined for 20 total clearances, with Harro's 13 total clearances and 10 centre bounce clearances both AFL season highs. Unfortunately, the quality of our disposal into the forward line in the second half left a lot to be desired, and the Saints ran the ball out of defence at lightning speed. When you have a guy like Riewoldt who runs hard up to the wings to make himself an option (and more often than not, gets it), then it almost forces the opposition to make every single possession going forward count. otherwise, it's up the other end and in the hands of Gehrig in a flash.

it didn't help that our best deliverers, Wells and Grant, couldn't hit a target to save their lives.