With many issues needing to be addressed at the club, former Essendon premiership player Tim Watson is becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of connection between players and structure.
“Right now, (my biggest frustration) would be the disconnect out there on the field between the players and the way they’re playing. There’s no system in place now,” Watson told SEN Breakfast.
“I’ve coached unsuccessfully, my belief is as a coach you take responsibility for everything that takes place with your team. You have to.
“That is the function of the role of a coach, to take that responsibility.
“If the message is not getting through, the messaging has to come from the coach.
“He is the person that has to fix what’s going on out there and there’s always these wild accusations out there about Worsfold and they need to sack him or whatever, but I don’t subscribe to that.
“John has proven over a period of time he can coach, he’s a premiership coach, he has to now fix what’s taking place out there.”
After taking the club to finals in 2017, coach John Worsfold added the likes of Devon Smith, Jake Stringer, Adam Saad and Dylan Shiel to the side. How the side has regressed since 2017 does not make sense, and Worsfold needs to address that, quickly.
Goalless in the first quarter, Essendon were held by St Kilda to only two points, the start of what was going to be another nightmare game. Critical of the Bombers' poor start, Watson labelled the side "listless" after failing to show up following their big round one defeat against the Giants.
“At the moment, they go out there in the first quarter after they’d been walloped the week before and they’re passive and they’re listless, you’ve got to be in control of the emotional state of your group as well. It’s all part of coaching.”
Essendon will take on an equally disappointing Melbourne side on Friday night, in a clash that will be labelled as exciting, but for reasons no one could predict before the 2019 season.
