Southern Football (incl Southern United) (Part 2)

Legend

my guess for Chatham cup next round... 

Queenstown to Advance next round with luck of the draw playing at home, cavy to get knocked out playing away 

So Cavy will draw Queenstown next round then grab a spot in the quarters which is national draw I'm hearing. Cavy could go on a nice wee cup run here. Usually Tech with cup runs...

and theyre 11 points clear in the league. Horner back to back coach of the years?

Still a long way until the end of the season

On the sideline they couldn't decide if he was 52 or 56. He still looks as fit as anyone! 

Edit: actually 51 according to article in today's ODT :

https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/football/388522/football-father-and-son-fore

Says a lot about the current state of the league when a 51 year old is playing

Sir Stanley Matthews says "Whaaaaaaaat?!?" 

Cavvy beat Tech for the 2nd time in a week, with a 2-0 win in the league. Geesh it was a game for the purists though, Tonga Park was bloody awful (even worse than normal) and the standard of footy was dreadful, especially compared to what was on display at the Cale in the Cup.

Cavvy might as well crack open the champagne (or is it Lion Red?) now.

Also, what are everyone's thoughts on Uni - obviously they're missing a load of players with Uni holidays (as are a lot of other clubs), but defaulted Fletcher Cup and not Div 2... clearly because their 3rds are top of the table, and their 2nds are mid table. Pretty stink though I reckon...

No surprise at Football Souths inadequacy. Dunedin football is fast becoming a joke. Tell me which is worse?Tonga park, The Standard of the current competition, The refereeing or Football south. 

Yeah it's a little disappointing isn't it - wonder what it says about the local football scene at the moment? To be honest I think it's more a reflection of the YF forums - not particularly likely to find too many of the newer/younger people on the scene locally popping up on here, so it's just the old regulars many of whom aren't so in touch/interested with what's happening in Dunedin anymore.

The fact that Cavvy are running away with the league again (and with more dominance than ever) is surely a factor. Ten nil win over Uni yesterday, bloody hell.

Roslyn with a big win over Northern, and Mosgiel beating GI easily enough. It's all a bit predictable.

can't agree more Kennedy, lack of chat on here.

Looking forward to watching a bit of southern league next year, bit of vocality from the sideline

I still recognise the odd name of guys still playing down there but would have to say am very out of touch with the state of the game/clubs/otago united etc

Sounds like same old story, but competition more devoid nowadays with cavy running away with it again.

I might even get along to some non roslyn games, still haven't managed to work out the man behind your alias Kennedy. Who knows maybe SU will get it together this year? there's a thought

I think what you will find Kennedy is the Mosgiel boys have learnt to stay away from the keyboard. The embarrassment they had last season of talking it up then getting ripped new assholes after round 2 was hilarious. Surprising they learn things over that hill. 

In terms of the league itself, it is in real problems. It's been slowly getting weak for years but I think currently it's at it's weakest. I agree there are some decent players in the league but fewer than ever. 

A league where a team can win 10-0 over a side is an absolute joke and that side isn't even on the bottom of the table. Caversham are light years ahead of any other currently. They should be playing in some South Island league incorporating Christchurch based teams and letting the rest of Dunedin fight it out.

The word on Fraser's Road is that horseshead21 could be Player Coach of the RW Feltchers next year, they could do with an experienced presence like that leading from the back ...

The really worrying thing is seeing how incredibly average someone like Ridden was at National League level, but then looking like Pele in club football... 

These are some good posts I think.  On the subject of the FSPL - yes Cavy have run away with it again and that is testament to Tech and Mosgiel being weaker this year.  Mosgiel especially disappoint me.  In Eder they have the best midfielder in the league and a guy who's desired at the NL level elsewhere.  And you would've thought Harley and Regan would have given them terrific bite in attack.  But defensively they have been poor and the old adage that 'It starts at the back' rings true here I think.  But credit to Cavy - let's take nothing away from them because they have been terrific on defence and have kept that never say die winning attitude under Horner as it was with SteveF before.

With SU coming under Football South I think they are going to do much better - the new CEO wants to make a few bucks?  Well go him because what's the alternative?  You got it - lose a few bucks.  And with money in the kitty I hear a few Paddys may be headed to SU for the coming season.  That will be fun I'm sure.  The coach is a fantastic choice in my opinion - O'Reilly?  O Really!  And I don't understand why anyone would criticise the development of players that's gone on under Football South to be honest.  The Milk Cup experience is terrific in the NZ context - who else does that in NZ?  And we have produced some quality recently - sheesh Joel, Cam, James take a bow.  Yes with some help elsewhere but that's always the case.  The raw talent was grown here.

Aye? Maybe I've missed a rather large dose of sarcasm? What on earth makes you think they're going to have money to spend?!? FS were pretty much financially poked prior to taking on SU. If they let the head rule the heart (financially speaking) then they wouldn't be taking on SU that's for sure. FS are essentially having to risk all cash reserves (and the Home of Football idea) to take on SU.

I sincerely hope Paul O'Reilly is a great appointment, and want to give him a chance. But the cynical side of me looks at the fact that he's only lasted 6 months in each of his two roles since arriving in NZ (although South Canterbury seemed genuinely gutted to lose him). And he gets talked up for his coaching credentials - when in reality he's never coached men above school and Irish university level. Impressive record in those respects though.

In saying all that I think it's a good move, and better than just repeating what hasn't worked already. The fact that our Youth side has been more than competitive recently shows there's some potential around.

Is it fair to credit FS for the success of the Milk Cup experience? I would have thought they was almost solely down to individuals like Macca and more recently Flipper.

I would like them to try and find, say, 2 high quality & determined imports to play alongside the better and younger local players. "Professional" guys with the right attitude to instil a more professional culture. Rather than ferrying in 6 or 7 average players from outside the area that are just in a hurry to get back north.

I genuinely believe that there would be plenty of good lower level pro's kicking around the UK who would jump at the chance to spend a season or two in Dunedin if the idea was marketed properly to them. Most Conference/National League level players in England are payed less than 20k pounds I believe. Maybe could target a couple of guys around that level to come over. (Or maybe I've been playing too much Football Manager). No doubt O'Reilly will have some Irish targets, just hope he does a better job than Phelan in that regard...

Anyone remember the Irish midfielder John Gregg from Tech's glory days? Someone like him.

Bare minimum objective should be to ensure we finish above Tasman.

I don't think he looks like Pele in Dunedin football? Nor would i say he look's average in the National league. If he had some players around him with the same sort of drive and skill i think he could do well.

Zane Green out for a while with a broken leg in two places.

 Hope he recovers and can still put the boots on and still wants to do so. 

Football in Dunedin needs players like him.

Good guy who enjoys the game.

Shame the player was offside before the contact.

Some interesting games this weekend coming up, which will be a nice change.

Obviously Cavey away to QT in the Cup the highlight on paper.

Caversham vs Mosgiel in Div 1 which will virtually decide the Fletcher Cup at Tonga Park.

Northern v Uni always produces goals.

Double post  

first I've heard of it

Seriously? I only watched 3 SU games this season but thought he was woeful and looked completely out of his depth - terrible first touch, awful passing, trying to beat men and losing possession. And now he is completely dominating locally, scoring goals for fun, he and Hogan run the show for Cavvy. First half hat trick for Ridden in the weekend sums it up really.

Everyone's entitled to an opinion, but I know I'm not the only one who thinks similarly...

Yeah I feel for Zane as it sounded like a pretty horrific injury. Hopefully he can get himself right for next season.

I don't know the guy but judging by his comments previously in this thread, you're bang on that his is the type of attitude that would benefit football locally if more were like that.

You may have missed the slight hyperbole - which I thought would have been rather obvious. 

You may also be missing my point in that Ridden was only but one example - there are a lot of players locally, especially in a team like Cavvy,  who look a lot better than they really are due to the current standard of local football, and this gets shown up on the national stage. Only way to close that gap is to try and improve the overall standard of our Premier League. 

The tops clubs need to be playing in a South Island league asap. It's hard for local clubs to do well in the Chatham cup and national league when they face such poor poor opposition every week.

So who is everyone picking for the SU team this year? 

Hendo from Northern Tiki-Taka afc looks the goods in recent weeks.