Australia Cup - Other Australian games

The best thing so far this evening is that SkyGo hasn't worked for me so I haven't been able to watch...

Bonevacia is doing some nice things but he needs good players to link up with.

Getting warmed up now...

Tell Blake not to check back!

I would accept a 5:2 just to restore some dignity!

Blake is great at slowing down play. It's not like he has anything to lose either

I hope this doesn't scare off our new signing hahaha gotta laugh but yeah hope ernie rips them all a new hole after this game. Cause it's not excuses are just not gonna cut it anymore. Useless!

Muscat so far behind play he might as well be back in Welly

Just need to tell him that Melbourne City are the Manchester City of the A-League.

I'm just hoping someone's told Jeff that our away strip is white.  He's probably thinking, not bad, I hope I can make the team

And that we are?.....what?

Linesman tells Roly: I didn't flag mate!

How many rolls Tando, how many rolls?

In contrast, Adelaide and Sydney are playing a lively game here:

http://firstrowau.eu/watch/365616/2/watch-adelaide...

we were beating West Ham this time last year and looking top class. Where's Rodriguez?

He's saying Fornaroli, as in Bruno Fornaroli, the Melbourne City striker.

Daft wee diddy cup played in the middle of the closed season,who cares ,plenty of time to sort this shambles out !

At least we are getting consistency somewhere:

77' Yellow card awarded to R. Krishna of Wellington Phoenix

72' Yellow card awarded to V. Lia of Wellington Phoenix

67' Yellow card awarded to R. Bonevacia of Wellington Phoenix

Did Powell, Rufer, Ridenton, Rodriguez, Appiah or Doyle play a role in the game? What did they look like?

Good work from Stevens

fark saved. Was thinking Roy goes low into the corners, but he placed it didn't drill it.

So so bad tonight.

Sums up the night

Louis Fenton and Sarpong will add some bite to this attack.

This 3 at the back??

Why why why are we doing 3 at the back?! What's the logic behind it?

Manny looking past his sell by date? As a fullback, possibly, but not in a back 3. Need someone faster and reliable.

3 at the back just doesn't fit our squad at the moment. I thought that Blake, Stevens and Bonevacia all did okay. No one else did anything to credit themselves.

Only positive tonight for me was DiMario who did okay on the side I was sitting. Didnt show much fear, unlike Italiano who looked like he drank too much coffee pre game. He looks the part, but jeez he is poor.

Waiting until I read the tactical analysis until I comment more.

It's clear that those match ups and colourful circles are not creating the overload in the midfield, ball in behind, space, pace on the wing, 1v1, high up the pitch that we did last season, so that it's back to the drawing board and it's all the fault of tactically outthought, young defenders, jumpers for goal posts, just marvellous!

Adelaide go up 2-1.

Well that was a pasting. At least it was no where near our first XI on the pitch - if that's any sort of consolation. Perhaps also shows Ernie that a couple of our youngsters really need to step up, and in a big way. 

Wish we'd been able to keep a hold of Boxall too. I know - Could've, should've, would've, but I feel we're missing something in our defensive set up. 3 at the back not working out as the gaffer would have hoped...

If something positive comes out of this shambles, I hope that the club are jolted out of their seeming complacency on the recruiting front and sign a few decent defenders and an attacking player or two who are consistant and can score regularly.

This season's team seems significantly weaker than last season's.

Lost from beginning of last season:

Boxall (huge loss in defence), Brockie, Cunningham, Boyd, Burns, Hicks.

Defence:

Sigmund, Muscat and Durante seem on the wain with each season now. 

Doyle is an average player who would be okay on the bench.

Fenton's career seems seriously compromised by injury (how long will he be out now?)

They are lacking any quality fullbacks  / wingbacks.

Seems that Blake did okay in defence tonight but he's too young to rely on.

Midfield and Attack:

Sarpong is a quality signing as a midfielder / winger but has a very poor goal-scoring record (8 league goals in 10 seasons as a pro in 136 games; 2 goals in 28 appearances last season was his joint highest in a season). He's unlikely to become another Nathan Burns in the goals department.

Krishna can be quite erratic and we'll struggle relying on him as the sole striker in the squad.

Ernie's said Powell has been signed as a reserve striker and he has an erratic record.

So there have been no signings to make up for the loss of goals from Burns, Brockie, Boyd and Cunningham.

Rufer looks like a reserve player and fails to make a mark in A-League games.

Ridenton looks like an average defensive midfielder and doesn't inspire confidence.

With the squad as it is, we're stuffed...

The only hope is some decent Aussie or NZ recruits before the season starts.

"Did Powell, Rufer, Ridenton, Rodriguez, Appiah or Doyle play a role in the game? What did they look like?"

I hope this was a wake up call that anything less than our best 11 and we lack serious talent and depth. I though Krishna was pretty poor attacking tonight he did a lot of engine work dropping back and helping but didn't even look like shooting at any point up front. Maybe it was Ernie trying something out but particularly in the 1st half I think it should have been rufer dropping and Krishna holding last man but they seemed to do it the opposite way, same thing when stevens came on (who I thought did bloody well for the situation he was thrown in). I am upset about last night but don't want to jump on the doom and gloom wagon yet it's preseason with plenty of time to make signings and get things working. 

I never thought I would say this about the Nix but I'm glad I didn't see the game

C'mon Ernie make it happen