Southern Football (incl Southern United)

Reg they were great, great days.  It was fantastic football because it was action plus every second - on the ball and off the ball.  A lot of those players wouldn't get away with half the stuff that went on now though would they?  I mean the name calling, the spitting, the testicle grabbing, snot and blood game it was.  There was magical football in there as well - I recall it well.  But we are looking through the spectacles of nostalgia too much if we think it was that much superior to what we have today - IMO anyway.

unfortunately for us, australia were dynamite and also much more astute tactically

anyway, we're killing this thread, i might start another...

well done otago today, worked hard, showed some quality and deserved the win

i can see what you guys mean about horner too, he was good

They are gonna give the Hornstar the keys to the city.  Well maybe just the keys to South Dunedin, but whatever. 

These were the days of hard men, but most of them had no or little skill. In saying that think most of those teams would still do better than Manawatu and the current Otago,Wellington and Waikato teams

I just checked and Ferguson has three yellows - he does seem to pick them up doesn't he? And he had 4 yellows and a double yellow last year, but I think you need five to get a suspension, which seems a bit generous but lucky for us!

Thought the whole team battled well, the football was stil pretty average, Curtis day most of got caught in possession 95% of the time? 

Not really sure why everyone so harsh on burgess he is nearly 40 and battling away with little or no decent possession to feet and its not really his job to chase atound centre backs all game. Also Not sure about Prattley at left mid but better than centre back. Horner was a great addition and Matt joy looks a better player with him organizing. 4 4 2 looked ok but probably need to swap mepham and day I reckon. What happened to Scott Gannon? 

Credit to everyone involved though for an away win in welly which are few and far between and 3 more points this week and season might be still alive. 

I think Aaron is a bit shy of 40 yet!  He's like 34 I think.  Personally I don't believe you can have a player that slow and that immobile at this level.  He's far too easy to defend against now - if he shows to receive, defenders generally either beat him to the ball or are on him so fast he can't do much.  And he can't take defenders on any more - they are too fast.  And he can't jump any more - he's carrying too much weight.  The only thing he can do is finish really well if he manages to get lucky (by defenders switching off) enough to find some space.  He showed a flash of that when he hit the post with a header against Hawke's Bay.  It's always a shame when a TRUE GREAT gets on in years and just can't do it anymore - I hate watching him labour away around the park like he is. If RM wants to play with 10 1/2 men that's over to him.  But I don't like seeing our sides giving central defenders all the time they need on the ball with no-one up their backsides.  And I don't like seeing the ball hoofed up the park knowing there's little chance of us winning it in the air.

A mate of mine that lives in Welly reckons he saw Ryder with a durry hanging out his mouth in town after the game? Never knew Ryder enjoyed the odd cheeky one. Fair enough though, celebration was needed after grinding out that win. 

The odd ciggy also keeps up the model image I spose.

TW fan here.  Well done you mob on the win - the TW threadsters have buried their heads in the sands now.  Anyway my ratings:

Little: 7.5 - one dodgy miss from a free kick but not bad under high ball cos he was unprotected by the defence

Connor: 8 - rarely got done or gave the ball away  - feisty irishman

Joy: 6.5 - strong and no nonsense type.  But passed it right to Schaeffers six yards out!  Dead lucky to get away with that.  And he where was he and his size when we had corners?

Horner: 8.5 - this guy was the man of the match.  A crap clearance on his left foot one time but pretty faultless.

Ferguson: 7 - rubbish on the ball and if TW had any brains this guy could have been sucked in for two yellows.  But he also showed some tenacity and pace.

Ryder: 8 - Here's the plan on attack Otago - give this guy the ball more often.  Nice and pacey and creative.

Day: 4 - He was hopelessly out of his depth.

Da Costa: 7 - not bad but it's lonely being on your own in the middle. Looks like he can play a bit but he needs someone to work off.  There was little beside him or in front of him.

Prattley: 7 - he's an enigma to me.  Seen him a few times and he needs to decide what sort of player he is.  Is he a defender or a winger?  Is he going to back himself going forward or sit back.  Looks low on confidence.  Good clearance off the line.

Stevens: 8.5 - he's going places.  A few of his runs were brainless, but he's fast and fit and keen and he scared our backline.  Calm head for goal.

Burgess: 5 - sorry but I agree with the dude who said the stuff earlier.  You can't expect to win with 10 men and this guy is past it - he can't even run.

Mepham: 6.5 - was better than Day so he should start for you mob.

Fitzpatrick: 6.5 - he was on for 5 minutes and you scored - go figure.

Ridden: 4 - gave the ball away on a counter, you can't do that - we nearly scored from the turnover.

For me Burgess did well against a rather athetic and young defender. Not ony did he get up and compete well (winning a number of headers) but he took a couple of damaging knocks for the team. Like Torres if his midfield can play to his strengths he will score goals no doubt - 2 goals this Sunday at the toaster.

I was being generous it's true.  5.5 - 6 was what I was going to say.  But he's just a wee scots fella and I didn't want to crush him.

Otago need some Damo Foster niggle

Don't know him but you were a bit limp for Otago.  In the past at least you've beaten the crap out of teams when losing.  Drink more Speights.

Cheers Toffeeman66, overall a pretty decent assesment.

One pedant though.

Irish bahahahaha

Irish name - he looked Irish by nature as well.  Good player that lad.

Yeah not a bad assessment Toffeeman66 - I saw it on Sky and Horner bossed it for sure.  But I just would pay heaven and earth and get Mike Cunningham back in the middle of the park - he's the best in NZ by a mile.  Leave Ryder on the wing and stick Ants or a target man-workhorse type like Jude or Jimmy Govan up front and have young Joel work off him.  Then we'd make the top four no bloody problem.

haven't seen michael cunningham play since the nz under 20s a wee while ago, have been disappointed to see that he hasn't really gone on to big things

where is he playing now?

NatPevin, being a Roslyn stalwart of many years, what's been your favourite team to grace Ellis Park / Old Caledonian over the years?

the 1984 Championship side with Gribben, McConville & Bacon Buttie Man was nice, also the 1993 side with Bardwell, Carr, Duncan, Fleming(s) McGarry & Marshall was class but for me the 95 team with the additions of Foy, Keogh, Boylan, MacDonald to the 93 lot.

2003 was alright but not up there with the previous teams

Toffeeman66 would have to agree with you on the majority of this. Interesting you know so much for a Team Wellington fan.. Thought Day just had an off game he can be a good player when confidence is up. Ridden, Mepham and Fitzpatrick are all young boys in a couple seasons they should shape up nicely.. Burgess should have been at least a 6 competed well up front one of his better matches I believe. Defence absorbed pressure well Joy more than a 6.5 IMO. Well done Otago bring on Waikato this weekend

Otago should keep their tactics of boring the other team into submission, it's works, Auckland had had enough till Regan's red card gave them some hope, some of the Wellington players were gone before halftime

I'm sort of a TW/Waitak fan actually but follow all teams pretty closely and know my shit.  Yeah give Joy a 7 then - he made the team of the month and I was expecting Nesta I spose - so I was a bit disappointed.  But yeah he had a solid game defensively at least.  Same with Burgess - I think I was expecting a goal machine from what I'd heard about him. So he disappointed too.  But for an old codger he did alright.

Objectively, when was the last time Aaron Burgess was effective at National League level...?

He has 9 goals in 46 appearances (1 every 324 mins): 2 from 19 (07/08), 5 from 13 (08/09 - his best return), 2 from 8 (10/11).

Hancock has 6 from 26 (1 every 338 mins) - he's not even on the bench these days.

Young Stevens has 3 from 16 (1 every 304 mins).

Rodeka was 6 from 26 (1 every 313 mins).

So in recent years our strikers have been much of a muchness.

Ruggles was 4 from 9 (don't know mins)

I forgot about Phil Ruggles.... he left the country on good terms.....

How was he your guys best striker, when he came to Ngarua (2nd div), he barely scored.

Blimey I forgot about Scoullar him being a Roslyn player and all.  I think he scored 23 and I don't think he quite played 50 games - so yeah he was the best by miles.

You are right NatPevin Blair Scoullar head and shoulders the best goal scorer this club has had..

He's quality and i know first hand

To be fair, Robin Van Persie would struggle to score for Otago

Hancock wouldn't last 45min these days 

What's the odds on the game on Sunday anybody? Will be a tight one , octagon to edge it I reckon 2/1

Yeah Otago would definitely have to be favourites after Waikato lost half their squad. Still think it will still be close though

Edge it?  Very funny.