BUDAPEST: Annoyed head coach Jacco Verhaeren says it is time James Magnussen pulled his head in and kept his criticism of the Australian swimming team in-house.
Magnussen skipped the world swimming championships at Budapest but still caused waves during Australia's campaign when he took aim at their relay strategy.
![Swimming Australia head coach Jacco Verhaeren.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170803040138im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/m/o/a/z/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gxmoat.png/1501538666660.jpg)
The former dual world champion told Fox Sports he was baffled why they weren't leading off their relay teams with their fastest swimmers, saying it was "going against our swimming history".
Verhaeren said Magnussen should have known better than to air his views publicly, saying his actions were "not a reflection of what this team is made of."
![Openly critical: James Magnussen.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170803040138im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/m/o/b/u/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gxmoat.png/1501538666660.jpg)
And Magnussen can soon look forward to hearing it from the horse's mouth soon.
"I'll definitely have a conversation with him about this because I'm actually very comfortable and happy with the process we had for our relay strategies," Verhaeren said after Australia completed the world titles in eighth spot with just one gold.
"I think the trust within is very important and I think James knows better than to make comments on the outside.
"On the inside it's great, but (his comments are) not a reflection of what this team is made of."
Magnussen was among the big names missing from Australia's team that battled to find their feet at a world titles dominated by the United States.
Magnussen is recovering from shoulder dramas and is preparing for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
The Dolphins were also without former world record holder Cate Campbell (rest) and Rio Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers (heart surgery).
The Australian men did not win a medal in three relays in Budapest although the Dolphins women's teams claimed one silver and two bronze.
Verhaeren said the Dolphins leadership group had "about 100 years of relay experience" and knew what they were doing.
"I do think athletes within the team should trust the coaches to make those decisions," he said of relay strategy.
"We have in our team structure a team leadership group (for relays) - in this case it's Michael Bohl, Simon Cusack, Glenn Beringen and myself.
"Together with a relay coach on the day. That's about 100 years of relay experience."
Verhaeren also dismissed the notion their relay results came down to strategy.
He pointed to the men's 4x100m medley team which bombed on the final morning of competition, suggesting they simply didn't step up on the day.
Australia did not feature in a world titles medley relay final for the first time in 14 years after gun quartet Mitch Larkin, Matthew Wilson, David Morgan and Cameron McEvoy faded to ninth in the heats.
"Strategy is one part, the swimming is the second," Verhaeren said.
"Look at the medley relay. A relay like that in the morning we should progress through to the final - that didn't happen.
"But you can't blame strategy."
AAP