2014/15 Pre-Season - v Canterbury United | 2:30pm | Sun 28 Sept | RoF

Boundary Tap & Bar from 12.00 midday.
?
See you there !!!!!

I don't care about Sydney
Sydeny doesnt care about me
I don't care about Sydney
I care about the Phoenix FC
We are the team in Yellow
Oh yeah
We are the team in Yellow
Quite rightly

absolute cracker of a day for a game. should be a great turn out

COYN

Freeing Michael McGlinchey

Is bound to be a sudden craze

Freeing Wee Mac from captivity

Is bound to be the very next phase

To join the team in Yellow! (Quite rightly.)

2-0 up, burns and krishna on the sheet

Don't use up all those goals Roy!

Up 3-0 at halftime. Burns (1) Krishna (2)

Final Score?

Finished 4-1. Burns (1) Hicks (1) Krishna (2)

Good to see you there Hatter. Decent ground and nice clubrooms. Perfect weather.

Xi for most of the game was something like that.

          Italiano

Fenton   Roly   Caira     JBS

                 Riera  

      Gorrin           Hicks

Krishna   Burns     Cunningham

Burns was really excellent. Gorrin was playing some dangerous balls in for Krishna and Cunningham. Roly looks really comfortable on the ball. Italiano very solid.

Confirmation that the WSW game is off. Looking at finding a replacement. ACFC a possibility.

I think Italiano is better than Moss. JBS had a decent game linking up well with Cunningham.

the phoenix looked very tidy and had a nice shape about them. they certainly look a lot better than where they were at this time last season

roly, burns, hicks and krishna were all excellent.  kenny was fast but didn't seem to trouble cowan at right back for the locals.  watson was good when he came on down the left wing

the local side weren't particularly good though - last year's selection gave them a real good run

The Nix are orders of magnitude ahead of where they were at this time last year. I am getting really excited about this season.

Even with the All Whites players out the squad looked well drilled and well oiled.

Fenton played very well, as did Boyle and Roly. Even JBS was not bad and I and not a JBS fan.

The highlight was the way the Reirs - Rodriguez - Hicks triangle operated, feeding balls out to Fenton and JBS on either flank with Cunnigham, Burns and Krishna all looking pacy and hungry at the front. As mentioned Burns really played well.

Have to agree with lonegunman that Italian is a better keeper than moss

Who played for the Select XI?

Italiano a better keeper than moss?!?

I think he's talented, and I haven't seen him play for a bit. But has he improved that much?

He played well today, pulled off some good saves and was quite vocal in organising his decence. Good size for a keeper too. Frankly, I would start him and see how he goes. Moss still doesn't fill me with confidence although to be fair he is a decent shot stopper.

What about his distribution?

Italtianos? Pretty good. The complete opposite to spiders crowther.

The guy has yet to be tested in any meaningful setting. 

But it would be good if there is some competition for the keeping jersey. Moss is a good keeper, but I always feel a lot more confident when I see a keeper confidently claiming crosses, owning his box and killing attacks that way. Happy with Moss, but don't think he would be the number one for a title winning side. Which we aren't threatening to be yet, though I hope we are an improvement on last year.

I think I've seen Italiano play live 3 times. Everytime he has been extremely shaky. Moss number 1 no question for me.

Previous post should have read italiano

Loving Krishna's form. He would have to be in the current first choice starting 11.

Was Burns playing as a striker or more of an CAM? How wide were Krishna and Cunningham playing? Did Muscat and Lia play?

I agree, Krishna's form is really encouraging. His first goal in Taupo made the crowd collectively gasp. It was an EXCELLENT finish. His pace, and hunger, and drive to get into goal scoring positions yesterday was without question. My only reservation is that his touch can be a bit heavy, and against more capable defences this could be significant. However I agree, he's gotta be there or thereabouts to be starting up front.

Muscat and Lia did not play.

Di Mario came on late along with Watson.

Burns was alternating between CAM and striker. When he was forward Krishna was on the right and Kenny, Kenny, Kenny, Kenny, Kenny Cunningham, Kenny Cunningham, Kenny Cun-nig-Haaaaaammm was on the left. Collectively the three of them together were quite exciting. Plenty of pace and options with the three of them across the park. Burns was really good.

I have yet to see Krishna in Phoenix colours so appreciate my comments come from past experience. He has a goal scoring record at ASBP and lower because (and as EG said in a podcast) he is a flat track bully against weak opponents. He can score goals against opponents that aren't up with the play and with respect to a CL selection, the would be scoring against guys at or lower than ASBP talent where he is proven so I expect he should have form.

I wanna see him score against HAL teams before I change my tune because nothing I saw while he was at ASBP level suggested that he will succeed at HAL level. Again, based on previous views and I want to be wrong on this. I want him to win the golden boot because that would mean we are in the hunt.

He scored a hat-trick in Taupo against a HAL strength defence (Durrante and Boxall at CB, Fenton and... ummmm I forget who was at left back for the NZ Selection)

He has scored plenty of international goals and also at the world club champs. He hasn't played a lot at professional level but when he did he looked reasonably likely and did score one which wasn't bad for the restricted minutes. Having a solid scoring record at next level down is a good thing. I'm quite hopeful.

I know it's only one game but he did score this great effort against Raja Casablanca in the Club World Cup last December - and Raja turned out to be a very good side, thrashing South American champions Atletico Mineiro from Brazil 3-1 in the semi and not being disgraced against Bayern in the Final.

Krishna's goal vs. Raja Casablanca:

Full game Auckland City v. Raja Casablanca:

Krishna also looked alright in the September 2013 Auckland City pre-season friendly win vs. the Nix:

Love that Casablanca defence!

Not to mention he HAS scored in the A-League:

Krishna A-League Golden boot........you heard it here first.

I think Krishna has all the attributes to be successful at A-League level. For those who have judged him on his ASb career just remember that there are plenty of players who up their game significantly when they go from amateur to training daily in a Pro setup with proper support. I reckon Krishna will have a great season. 

End of season I'll give you 20 bucks for every goal he scores above 10 if you give me 20 bucks for the diff between what he does score and 10 if it's lower (A-League only, incl play-offs).

Including play-offs is very generous considering Golden Boot is calculated in season only.

Yet to be convinced that the slow passing game on show is the way to go.  Was pleased to see capacity tho to play through balls to strikers and them scoring which has been lacking in the past.