The WaiBOP United Thread

Yeah sorry should have made that clearer. Was not offside! Waikato look good.

The number 24 looks useful. Whats his background. Adam Wallis the website says...

Another young Melville lad. Good going forward, bit suspect defensively but has pace to make up for it, can play LB and LW.

Waikato shoulud consider strongly not playing out from the GK's. Just get it forward up the field. The irony being that they are happy to play a keeper punt from the hands.

There is a big hole sitting in behing Rory Turner that Waikato need to put a man in to at least get the free ball that trickles in that area and/or pressure the Manawatu ball players. Suspect that Margetts role that he is not playing properly.

Interesting sub by Jacobs there, I like the decision, don't see that too much.

He could have waited 2 mins like Harry said though then give him a bullet in the shed. Unfortunately for Matt Kennedy, he always plays that way so I guess..

This game started off ok and there are some nice balls from Waikato but the lack of players with any real 'football intelligence' to see it coming and capitalise on those balls have meant its come to nothing. Its just drifting along and not really hitting any highs but again they are two bottom of the table teams.

Yuck, my TV was cutting out a bit there but that looked like a jammy goal

Cripes! Where has that been all year!

 Margetts goal. That was one he definitely picked out. Class.

This has descended. It is better than the TW Canty game but its finishing the same way. At least we have some goals in this one.

What was the number 4 doing?

Cossey for All Whites coach

Rory Turner looks very lazy.

I'll take the 3 points very happily, good to see us get a few on the scoresheet, now its all about doing it against higher quality opposition.

You've only just established that? Very much in the overrated category.

Good win for them.. .. They bossed the midfield apart from first 15 in the 2 nd half.. Margetts and Thomas did well also

This
With respect to the win, it is tempered by the fact that it is Manawatu. They need to get a result like this against a couple of top teams to show signs of promise and development. Today was nice at times - Ryan Thomas does have some talent that is known about and the Chilean lad Elder Franchini played some nice through balls but they just were not capitalised on because of players failing to see the game unfold. How would this team be with Thomas and Lissette? Who knows. I think Cossey got it right dropping Edge to the bench because in my opinion, he does not have the ability for this level esepcially in the engine room and Hobson-McVeigh didn't do himself a disservice.
Manawatu.... Mosquera is putting them in so they will remain in contention in most games if he keeps doing that. I'm surprised that there is a team that will give Cooksley a run. I know he's got a few games under his belt but I've also cooked several thousand hot meals and that doesn't make me a chef. When you combine him with Matt Kennedy doing his best to get tossed, that would probably be the most non-delivering midfield of the comp. That guarantees to ensure you are at the foot of the table in some respects.

Re: the injuries, Adam Thomas would make a huge difference to the side, just with his athletic ability and pace to get down the wing, always provides chances. Lissette not so much, he wouldn't start. Jesse works hard and throws himself around but I agree that Hobson-McVeigh is probably the way to go.

enjoyed the game, much better than the tw vs canterbury drivel

enjoyed seeing the ball being moved about nicely and the plethora of goal mouth action

i suspect hone fowler would also add solidity to this waikato side.  anyone know why he wasn't playing?

for me, franchini was the pick for waikato and cowan for youngheart

 Who was that no.7 up front? That kid was quality. How old is he??

Thought Waikato were quite good from what I saw in the 2nd half. But Manawatu isn't much of a benchmark sadly.

Ryan Thomas, should be in the Phoenix academy if you ask me, superb talent. Only 17/18, if he grows out a little bit he'll be very hard to stop, great skills

Franchini has been quality all season, Fowler had a wedding I'm told.

Was entertaining, congrats to Cossey and team. Franchini, Thomas, Wallis, Mosquera (for YM) looked good. Performance should be tempered by quality of opposition.. Interesting the Waikato Times article highlighted Rory Turner's performance, and he got a good blind goal however I thought he was generally out of his depth and maybe Margetts would be better as No.9. Too many wayward and poor efforts at goal, Result should have been 6-3.  

Margetts has been poor this season, but most of his time has been out on the wing where he was sloppy in possession and defence, not his strong suit so up front should be where he gets his game-time. Turner also a far better target man, I think Sam should probably be running off Turner, not playing the no.9.

A lot similar with Rojas. Only a few mins into the game i was impressed. Hes quite small but i thought he held is own quite well. Id hope to see him in the academy soon.

 Don't quote me on this but I thought he turned the Academy down.

or did Declan turn it down for him?
Maybe he chose to stay in school.... oh wait..

And the exodus begins.... Thomas Edge x2 Awad Oliver Webster and Tahau are all off to the Ole Academy, with Declan classily telling them to simply stop training with the squad without any explanation.

Hurts the team but it was always a possibility, Mark will have to bring in some players now, Robbie Greenhalgh being one apparently.

Love to hear " Bruce Hollaway`s"  take on this disaster......Championed the cause which has come unstuck

Are you out there Bruce ??

Hopefully Thomas will be able to take part in the nix academy next year. Could be a fantastic player

But we'd turn him into a player who couldn't pass, tackle, or create.

what a joke declan. telling players not to play. its this kinda crap which keeps holding nz football down. loser

As it was pointed out, it's not going to help them with representative honours when they have a coach who nobody trusts, if they are borderline selections it could be a case of "Oh, he's one of Declan's, let's not bother"

no way to teach them how to be young professionals. he needed to accept failures and move on.

What is Declan thinking. So unprofessional!

Wouldn't these boys be better playing national league and trying to get in the nz u 20 s ( Ryan and Jesse) than just training at ole?..

Sheesh Einstein I dunno.  What would you prefer - playing 90 mins each week at a half-decent NZ level with a hope of international exposure, or doing shuttles and small-sided games for an egomaniac who promises the universe and delivers a constipated mangy dog?