R24 vs Jets | Thurs 13th Aug | 9:30pm | SS7

Trialist
11
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16
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over 3 years

Hard to know how to feel after that game, we did so much right early on without luck and lacked any cutting edge in front of goal. Reminded me of the western United game earlier in the year where we could have been 3 or 4 up after half an hour.  Unfortunately if you don’t convert pressure into goals you will always get burnt eventually. The ref for mine was very good outside of the pens, let the game flow and didn’t give any soft free kicks, you had to earn them which I prefer to most of the refs who reward sharkhousery.....cacace seems to have a rep for that which is the only part of his game to be improved. Elliot should have had two pens though, as soon as TPS goes to ground  for the first and makes contact it is clear cut and the second one was a disgrace.

Positives were the continued emergence of Elliot as an attacking weapon and obviously Cacace was a beast. Davila and ball both need a goal badly to get the confidence back and with hooper back for the finals I can still see us doing some damage. Also enjoyed McCowatts technique on the free kick, very unlucky.

Marquee
4K
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6.6K
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over 13 years

Sorry to spoil the mood but I will repeat my earlier argument that a lot of our earlier success relied on sublime performances by Davila, game in game out. He has not been able to come back to his true potential since the restart. I am not "blaming" him, simply stating the fact that we do not perform very well without him being on a song. While Ball has not scored since the restart at least he is mobile and visible, and taking shots. Davila is less so; and he seems to me a bit bereft of ideas at present.  Hooper and Cacace cannot do it all alone.

LG
Legend
5.5K
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23K
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over 16 years

Hoops has officially gone back to the UK. His hamstring injury isn't clearing up as quickly as hoped. Thanks Hoops for your efforts for the Nix - on and off the pitch. Feel free to come back next season.

and 5 others
Phoenix Academy
620
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420
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almost 9 years

Lonegunmen wrote:

Hoops has officially gone back to the UK. His hamstring injury isn't clearing up as quickly as hoped. Thanks Hoops for your efforts for the Nix - on and off the pitch. Feel free to come back next season.

I would think that's the Phoenix's chances gone with him. 

Marquee
3.7K
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5.4K
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over 11 years

Why...

By all accounts he has love life down under and has a great friendship with Ball and Taylor going on. NZ is a far safer place than Europe is at the moment, and bar for his injury now, he also probably realises that our 1 game a week season is good for his body etc.

Having played at the level he has, for as long as he has, financially his next move doesn't need to be about the money (although that clearly should be a consideration)

First Team Squad
2K
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1.9K
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almost 17 years

MetalLegNZ wrote:

financially his next move doesn't need to be about the money

I think that is an oxymoron, but I get your point.

One in a million
4K
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9.5K
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almost 17 years

I think we have quite a lot of forward players that are 'due', so hopefully the due date is the 22 or 23rd!

Legend
11K
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21K
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almost 9 years

MetalLegNZ wrote:

Why...

By all accounts he has love life down under and has a great friendship with Ball and Taylor going on. NZ is a far safer place than Europe is at the moment, and bar for his injury now, he also probably realises that our 1 game a week season is good for his body etc.

Having played at the level he has, for as long as he has, financially his next move doesn't need to be about the money (although that clearly should be a consideration)

Because of the massive uncertainty of how A League 2020/2021 will shape up, and the Nix being a NZ team in an Aussie comp. 

Another hub in Aussie that worst case could go, out to July 2021?

Whilst his family are living where, the UK or NZ? That would seriously suck.

Meanwhile the EFL Leagues start next month, and he will be on the radar of some UK clubs, where he can have his family in a stable environment - plus maybe still earn close to $NZ1M or more per season

Opinion Privileges revoked
4.5K
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9.7K
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over 14 years

Can I just point out that I've been slammed, told to leave the forum etc, for expressing takes just like this?

Seriously, I don't know whether the doom-and-gloom about next season is absolutely correct, but it certainly makes a mockery of the people who're saying that even if we blow the finals (which most here think we will for sure), Uffie's regime is sound and we should hold on to next season.

If the people who say we're doomed without Hoops are right, then maybe it wasn't a great idea to build our team around the performance of one (or two counting Davlia) star players, without whom we're fudged.

Legend
11K
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21K
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almost 9 years

Suggesting Uffie should be sacked is nonsense (I still can't work out whether you were joking).

Being a bit negative about next season - and a huge amount of that pessimism is due to the problems with Covid and Nix maybe having to do another hub - is just being realistic. The other big blow being possible halving of salary cap/player's wages. The Nix have good people in charge, but little to no control over these 2 big issues.

Flip side is that all other 11 teams (well non NSW sides) likely face pretty much the same problems. Just Nix coming from a different country is a bit more acute. Not saying it will be disatrous at all, esp with Talay there, and his knack for uncovering some young Aussie talent.

Who knows maybe the politicians/health experts on both sides of the Tasman, will change strategy, rule out elimination, concede we have to live with Covid day to day (mandatory mask wearing everywhere, isolating old people's homes etc etc etc etc) - but upside is that travel within Australia and to/from NZ opens up. It's a debate that is going to increase in volume (people will start to revolt if need to go into further lockdowns), but yeah any controversial strategy change in that direction will be months away yet.

WeeNix
780
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510
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almost 7 years

harrymc55 wrote:

Lonegunmen wrote:

Hoops has officially gone back to the UK. His hamstring injury isn't clearing up as quickly as hoped. Thanks Hoops for your efforts for the Nix - on and off the pitch. Feel free to come back next season.

I would think that's the Phoenix's chances gone with him. 

Hooper was remarkably average for the pedigree that he came with. Wouldn't say that it is a big loss at all tbh.

Starting XI
3K
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3K
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almost 7 years

You can't say he was average. Statistically he's the most effective forward the club has ever had by a long way and his technical ability for a striker is probably unmatched in the league. Was always in our top three players imo

and 4 others
First Team Squad
2.9K
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1.9K
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over 6 years

8 goals, 4 assists and 1 penalty won in 1105  minutes is phenomenal. even if you took all that away though Hooper's quality would still be evident, he only needs to take one touch where many other players would take two or three. All the clever little flick on passes and back heels he's done consistently with accuracy throughout the season have contributed significantly to our ability to play the great footy we were playing pre-lockdown. Speaks volumes of the guy that since the restart, where the whole team has looked flat including Hooper, he has still managed to bag two crucial goals. 

and 2 others
Phoenix Academy
250
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160
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over 6 years

When is Roy coming back? Surely IPL isn't an option for him next year?

Woof Woof
2.7K
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19K
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over 16 years

OzNix wrote:

When is Roy coming back? Surely IPL isn't an option for him next year?

He's re-signed there already, hasn't he?

Legend
6.8K
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14K
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over 16 years

Jazzy Jeff wrote:

8 goals, 4 assists and 1 penalty won in 1105  minutes is phenomenal. even if you took all that away though Hooper's quality would still be evident, he only needs to take one touch where many other players would take two or three. All the clever little flick on passes and back heels he's done consistently with accuracy throughout the season have contributed significantly to our ability to play the great footy we were playing pre-lockdown. Speaks volumes of the guy that since the restart, where the whole team has looked flat including Hooper, he has still managed to bag two crucial goals. 

We looked the genuine article when Hooper came and not before. He was a keystone signing.

Starting XI
2.9K
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2.5K
·
over 5 years
Starting XI
460
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2.3K
·
almost 17 years

Saturday night at 7pm (our time) locked in it seems - just the opponents to sort out. 

I assume another thread to begin soon. A bit excited. COYN

Marquee
4K
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6.6K
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over 13 years

harrymc55 wrote:

Lonegunmen wrote:

Hoops has officially gone back to the UK. His hamstring injury isn't clearing up as quickly as hoped. Thanks Hoops for your efforts for the Nix - on and off the pitch. Feel free to come back next season.

I would think that's the Phoenix's chances gone with him. 

I only read that he has returned to New Zealand.  Have not seen news that he has left the club, regardless of not playing further.

Marquee
3.7K
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5.8K
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about 17 years

Mainland FC wrote:

harrymc55 wrote:

Lonegunmen wrote:

Hoops has officially gone back to the UK. His hamstring injury isn't clearing up as quickly as hoped. Thanks Hoops for your efforts for the Nix - on and off the pitch. Feel free to come back next season.

I would think that's the Phoenix's chances gone with him. 

I only read that he has returned to New Zealand.  Have not seen news that he has left the club, regardless of not playing further.

Club has said he is returning to England to reunite with his family.
Marquee
4K
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6.6K
·
over 13 years

ballane wrote:

Mainland FC wrote:

harrymc55 wrote:

Lonegunmen wrote:

Hoops has officially gone back to the UK. His hamstring injury isn't clearing up as quickly as hoped. Thanks Hoops for your efforts for the Nix - on and off the pitch. Feel free to come back next season.

I would think that's the Phoenix's chances gone with him. 

I only read that he has returned to New Zealand.  Have not seen news that he has left the club, regardless of not playing further.

Club has said he is returning to England to reunite with his family.

Ok, cool, thanks for clarifying that. 

It was good to see a player of his calibre putting on the Nix shirt. It took me a while to realise that he was all class. He got into form, and was playing full games and scoring, just when the lockdown came upon us in March.

Marquee
3.7K
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5.8K
·
about 17 years

Agree just hope some of  the young guys learnt from him because as much as his goal scoring and assists were great it was his little touches and flick ons and defensive work that really made you sit up. We can but dream of how good it would have been to have a fully fit Hooper for a full season.

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