Pelatih Sydney Swans Akui Timnya Kalah Konsistensi Usai Dihajar Fremantle

Sydney Swans harus mengakui keunggulan Fremantle Dockers setelah performa mereka anjlok di paruh kedua pertandingan AFL di Perth, Kamis malam. Pelatih Dean Cox secara blak-blakan menyoroti inkonsistensi timnya sebagai akar kekalahan yang membuat posisi mereka di puncak klasemen terancam.

Swans sebenarnya tampil gemilang di dua kuarter awal, bahkan mampu menahan tuan rumah tanpa gol. Namun, setelah jeda, Fremantle bangkit dengan mencetak 100 poin, sementara Swans hanya mampu membalas 40 poin. Kegagalan mempertahankan momentum itu membuat Swans tertahan di peringkat kedua, sementara Fremantle kokoh di puncak dengan keunggulan dua pertandingan.

"That's what we've got to fix – the consistency between that," kata Cox. Ia menegaskan bahwa performa saat ini belum cukup baik dan konsistensi menjadi aspek paling krusial yang perlu diperbaiki.

"At the minute, we sit second on the ladder, but some of the football we're playing at times, we need to be better at. That's the biggest part of footy we need to get right," ujarnya.

Data statistik memperkuat kekhawatiran Cox: Swans kalah dalam perebutan bola (contested possession) dengan selisih 147-121, terutama akibat penurunan performa setelah jeda. Efisiensi tackle mereka juga buruk di dua kuarter akhir. Selain itu, penyelesaian akhir yang tidak akurat pada kuarter pembuka menghambat Swans membangun keunggulan lebih besar.

"That's probably part of what you have to do in these games against really good opposition – you've got to take your chances when you get them," tutur Cox.

Meski demikian, Cox menegaskan kekalahan beruntun dari tim besar tidak menimbulkan keraguan di skuadnya. "No, that's something that we've got to work through and make sure that we work as hard as we possibly can on that area of our game," ucapnya.

Ia menekankan bahwa performa impresif di kuarter pertama membuktikan kemampuan asli tim. "In moments like the first quarter, we were plus seven (in clearances). It shows you can do it; you just can't do it for long enough at the minute against the really good teams. That's what we have to strive to be like," kata Cox.

Dalam hal strategi, James Jordon ditugaskan menjaga Caleb Serong dan Andrew Brayshaw, tetapi konsekuensinya adalah longgarnya penjagaan terhadap Murphy Reid. "One thing you look at is that he plays forward-mid a lot, and the ability between him and Shai Bolton to do that. At times, they got off the chain doing that, so we need to be better in that space," ujar Cox.

Pihak kepelatihan akan mengevaluasi efektivitas taktik tersebut. "We just thought what Andrew Brayshaw does and gives them in a transition sense was one thing we could look at. We'll probably reflect on it – would we change it if you take him off someone else, and someone else has a bit of an impact?" tutur Cox.

Cox mengapresiasi fleksibilitas Jordon dalam menjalankan peran taktis. "The pleasing thing I find with James Jordon is his ability to be able to change in-game or set himself for a target. We'll have a look and make amends next time we play," pungkasnya.