Sydney coach Paul Roos knows criticism comes with the territory, but believes recent headlines involving Richmond's under-fire coach Terry Wallace have been "over the top".

Roos feels some public criticism can be "irresponsible" and often affects the intended target's family more than the coach himself.

Wallace's position has come under scrutiny after the Tigers lost their first three games of the season heading into this week's crunch showdown with fellow strugglers Melbourne.

One newspaper even had a headline earlier in the week that suggested Wallace was on "Death Row".

Roos said coaches deserved criticism when it was warranted, but believed headlines sometimes went too far.

He stressed all coaches invariably copped criticism at some stage, including the last two premiership winning-mentors in Geelong's Mark Thompson and Hawthorn's Alastair Clarkson, plus St Kilda's Ross Lyon, whose side currently leads the ladder.

"We all go through it, there's no question," Roos said before Swans training at the SCG on Thursday.

"I remember 'Bomber' Thompson was a week away from getting the sack, I think early in Alastair Clarkson's (tenure) there was criticism of the zone. I remember Rossy Lyon last year going through it.

"I don't think there is a coach in the caper that hasn't at some point been the target of some criticism and that's part of the job.

"We all understand that ... we're in a privileged position, we're well paid and we deserve to cop the criticism when it's warranted, but I think the headlines sometimes just go a bit over the top."

Roos said the use of terms like "death row" was unfortunate considering some of the tragedies in the wider world outside sport.

He pointed out that criticism of the coaches often affected those closer to them than the targets themselves.

"As much as we put on a brave face, coaches have feelings too and we have families and people who read the papers," Roos said.

"To be perfectly frank, we probably deal with it better than what the wives and the kids and the mums and dads and families deal with it.

"I just think sometimes it can be irresponsible, but we all know we're under pressure.

"But to have headlines come out like that is really disappointing.

"Danny Frawley made a comment on behalf of the Coaches' Association.

"At this time you look to the other coaches to support you. Terry has the support of the other 15 (AFL) coaches and obviously his Coaches' Association, but it is disappointing when it gets to that stage so early in the season."

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