Wellington Phoenix Men

A-league Discipline

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
A-league Discipline

Normo's coming home

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Watching another side suffer a red card and a defeat last night, on reflection the discipline in the A-League this season has been absolutely terrible. Too many hot heads have received cards for stupid, unnecessary and in most case petulant actions (e.g Elrich PHX v QLD, Harnwell GLO v PHX, Muscat MEL v PHX, Tiatto QLD v ADL, Moore QLD v ADL, Zadkovich SYD v ?, Aloisi PHX v SYD and those are just off the top of my head) and there seems to have been a disproportionate number of straight red cards.   Throws up a couple of things, our discipline was pretty good and that will be useful in the future. However, as a coach, especially in a league as tight as this, I'd be ropabl looking back at ow sides have put their own teams under pressure.

Interested whether others also think there have been a large number of reds, or normal for a league of this size.

Normo's coming home

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Interesting point. Clearly someone will  no doubt set up some stats to compare leagues and give us the "definitive" answer but a gut feeling answer... felt about average to me. I'd think I'd be surprised if it was different.


Profile pic. Should you be interested. Lakhsen, on the right, lost touch with him.
Mohammed, on the left, I'm still in touch with. He's now living in Agadez, Niger. More focused on his animals now as tourism has dried up. Is active with a co-op promoting local goods, leather work and bijouterie, into Europe. 
20/5/20

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Yeah probably what I am getting at and is difficult to measure is the number of stupid and unnecessary Red cards.

Normo's coming home

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
well when you have this number of australians there is bound to be a high number of stupid and unnecessary events isnt there?
(sorry australians)

www.kiwifromthecouch.blogspot.com

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Well we hardly helped them by making them play a New Zealand team. They lost all sensibilities.
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Does the league have a fair play award? I think they might. 
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
We might actually win something this year!
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
I'm not sure we are squeaky clean enough to win the fair play award (not that winning that is an indicator of success in the league)

here's a table of yellows/reds prior to this round


8 Wellington 54-3
7 Central Coast 44-7
6 Queensland 45-3
5 Melbourne 43-4
4 Adelaide Utd 44-3
3 Sydney FC 41-3
2 Perth 38-3
1 Newcastle 41-0


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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Newcastle should have had a red for the nut punchers action.....

Perth's total of 38 yellows is pretty damn good in a 21 game season!

CCM played with 10 men once every three games - and still won the prem!

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Wow, I had no idea we'd inccured so many yellows. Shame on you boys :P
Maybe the reffs just get infected by yellow fever when they come into town.
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Big fines for a yellow, bigger fines for a red,big fines for gobbing off at referees. Hurt thr players in the pocket and they'll get the message. Mind you, the referee association also need to come on board to improve the quality of their members.
 
I've only seen two decent referees this season, the rest are central league quality at best!
Proud to have attended the first 175 Consecutive "Home" Wellington Phoenix "A League" Games !!

The Ruf, The Ruf, The Ruf is on Fire!!

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
FFA putting too much money into A-League and player talent and not enough into the reff's and their talent?
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
FFA putting too much money into A-League and player talent and not enough into the reff's and their talent?
 
Agree and on the last round with so much in the balance all the top refs off overseas on a training course.
 
The training course is good the timimg was

Socceroo/ Mariner / Whangarei

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

are players in Australia allowed to be smacked?
I like tautologies because I like them.
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
I hear they recently passed a law to prevent that but their kids are still fair game.
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
dairyflat wrote:
Interesting point. Clearly someone will  no doubt set up some stats to compare leagues and give us the "definitive" answer but a gut feeling answer... felt about average to me. I'd think I'd be surprised if it was different.




Inspired by LF1's efforts on the "played every game topic", i thought I'd have a quick bash at this one.

I compared A-league with England's Championship.

A/League
Games played = 80 (to end of round 20)
reds = 26
yellows = 350

reds per game = 0.325
yellows per game = 4.375

Championship

Games played = 336 (to end of Saturday this weekend)
reds = 56
yellows = 1069

reds per game = 0.166
yellows per game = 3.18


n.b. - it is possible that ESPNs card stats for the Championship do not include this weekend (but, i think they do). Even with that variance it's clear the A-league has gone card happy!! (in relative terms)

If anyone is daft enough to repeat the exercise for another league I'd be intrigued - but frankly i've had enough of it (and my wife's none too impressed )


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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Why aren't wives impressed by such things? It's a mystery to me. StopOut2008-01-21 22:38:53
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
I know, my gf finds it adorable when I do such things but I'm told everything changes after marriage.
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Lonegunmen wrote:
Big fines for a yellow, bigger fines for a red,big fines for gobbing off at referees. Hurt thr players in the pocket and they'll get the message. Mind you, the referee association also need to come on board to improve the quality of their members.
 
I've only seen two decent referees this season, the rest are central league quality at best!


Bollocks.... Jim Murphy could not referee the A-league...
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
All these stats do tend to suggest that the A League is a little on the over-physical side. THis is in line with what several football analysts in the Oz media have observed this season, ie, that the standard of football, or the skill factor, hasn't improved from previous seasons, this being partly explained by the amount of dangerous play that wouldn't be acceptable in other pro leagues.
 
And yet despite the often perfectly valid red cards (many of them straight reds) the lunging tackles keep on coming. Now personally I don't mind a more physical game but I also want to see the skillful players being able to do their thing without being hacked down - yes, even Joel Griffiths! If the A League is to grow in stature and compete with the umpteen dozen other sports for fans and dollars it needs to encourage individual skill and open attacking football, while clamping down on dangerous play.
 
Of course, the standard of refereeing needs to be considered....
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
He could probably run a line tho'!

Apparently I'm apathetic, but I couldn't care less.

"Being a Partick Thistle fan sets you apart. It means youre a free thinker. It also means your team has no money." Tim Luckhurst, The Independent, 4th December 2003

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
StopOut wrote:
All these stats do tend to suggest that the A League is a little on the over-physical side. THis is in line with what several football analysts in the Oz media have observed this season, ie, that the standard of football, or the skill factor, hasn't improved from previous seasons, this being partly explained by the amount of dangerous play that wouldn't be acceptable in other pro leagues.
�

And yet despite the often perfectly valid red cards (many of them straight reds) the lunging tackles keep on coming. Now personally I don't mind a more physical game but I also want to see the skillful players being able to do their thing without being hacked down - yes, even Joel Griffiths! If the A League is to grow in stature and compete with the umpteen dozen other sports for fans and dollars it needs to encourage individual skill and open attacking football, while clamping down on dangerous play.

�

Of course, the standard of refereeing�needs to be considered....


Juninho made this point earlier in the year and I don't think skilful players are getting the necesary protection. Felipe has got stuff all this season and he's just one who is accused of diving

Normo's coming home

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
james dean wrote:
Juninho made this point earlier in the year and I don't think skilful players are getting the necesary protection. Felipe has got stuff all this season and he's just one who is accused of diving


The game when Queensland kicked Felipe all over the park was a good example of that.

Apparently I'm apathetic, but I couldn't care less.

"Being a Partick Thistle fan sets you apart. It means youre a free thinker. It also means your team has no money." Tim Luckhurst, The Independent, 4th December 2003

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Jag wrote:
james dean wrote:
Juninho made this point earlier in the year and I don't think skilful players are getting the necesary protection. Felipe has got stuff all this season and he's just one who is accused of diving


The game when Queensland kicked Felipe all over the park was a good example of that.
 
 
Felipe was so not the same after he got smashed in that game.

Queenslander 3x a year.

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
I think, from memory, he came off with a thigh strain but for about a half hour period he was just kicked the sh*t out every time he was on the ball and very little was done about it by the match officials.
 
You are spot on, I don't think he's been the same since that game either

Apparently I'm apathetic, but I couldn't care less.

"Being a Partick Thistle fan sets you apart. It means youre a free thinker. It also means your team has no money." Tim Luckhurst, The Independent, 4th December 2003

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Both Felipe and Daniel were at the best early in the season, then opposition coaches realised that if you shut those two down then you stopped a lot of the Phoenix attack. What actually happened was they just got smashed, week in week out. Felipe finished the season a shadow of the early season player. The same happened to Juninho.

If the A-League is to progress there has to be a place for skilled ballplayers. Its up to ref's to protect these players. The new dutch guy coaching the Socceroos has been unimpressed with the technical side of the A-League. Great athletes, high commitment but poor tactical sense and not many players with good technique.

I reckon they should bring some good elite level refs out from Europe. Do some training camps with the A-League refs and get the Europeans to ref a few games to set a benchmark. The All Whites and Socceroos will struggle to produce good technical players if the A-League continues to be a kick/chop/hack festival.
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Ronaldunno wrote:
Both Felipe and Daniel were at the best early in the season, then opposition coaches realised that if you shut those two down then you stopped a lot of the Phoenix attack. What actually happened was they just got smashed, week in week out. Felipe finished the season a shadow of the early season player. The same happened to Juninho.

If the A-League is to progress there has to be a place for skilled ballplayers. Its up to ref's to protect these players. The new dutch guy coaching the Socceroos has been unimpressed with the technical side of the A-League. Great athletes, high commitment but poor tactical sense and not many players with good technique.

I reckon they should bring some good elite level refs out from Europe. Do some training camps with the A-League refs and get the Europeans to ref a few games to set a benchmark. The All Whites and Socceroos will struggle to produce good technical players if the A-League continues to be a kick/chop/hack festival.

They've got Elite level refs in O'leary and Shield, 1 of which has been to 2 world cups and both of which will go to the next. To say thats bollocks shows your complete lack of understanding on everything totally football and that includes refereeing. If they bought out referees from Europe, I guarantee you would see every man and their dog complaining about wanting the Australian referees to do the game and that the Europeans can go back to UEFA.

And no, you couldn't do better so just get on with what is there in the first place.
Agent 472008-01-22 15:56:45
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Cor, you're an angry man today, A47!
 
I agree though, it's funny that there's this "European refs = far better than anything we've got" mentality. Shield and O'Leary (for example) are experienced officials who have both been involved in International tournaments.
 
Do some people down here actually think that supporters in Europe aren't saying "The standard of refereeing here is rubbish.." They are, and  they always have! Some of the refeereing decisions seen in the SPL and EPL this season have been questionable. Same in Spain and Italy.
 
As Agent 47 says, if someone from the SPL, EPL or La Liga came down, it wouldn't take long for the complaints to start about how they don't understand the game down here etc, etc.
 
I don't think the standard of refereeing in the A League is particularly bad, it's no better and certainly no worse than in most other leagues. I can maybe think of a couple of less than inspiring refereeing performances this season, both from the same referee strangely enough. The rest of the time it's been the same as it always is, isolated decisions which come under scrutiny. A ref can make 100 decisions in a game, if he gets 99% of those correct to everyone's satisfaction but has one controversial decision, he'll get bagged for having a shocker. Sadly, that's just the way it seems to work. It's always that one decision that fans will remember about that referee, not the other 99.
 
Funny how we complain (rightly IMO) about the overly physical nature of the A League  but, when red cards are shown for bad tackles, we invariably get people coming on here spouting about how the card was harsh, it should have been yellow and it was the wrong decision! Bit of a mixed message there, I think.
Jag2008-01-22 12:05:59

Apparently I'm apathetic, but I couldn't care less.

"Being a Partick Thistle fan sets you apart. It means youre a free thinker. It also means your team has no money." Tim Luckhurst, The Independent, 4th December 2003

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Listen Agent 47 I'm not bagging the A-League....its great entertainment, end to end action ,lots of goals etc.

I am just pointing out that there has been a lot of recent comment( new Socceroo coach, SBS football show, Sydney Morning Herald) about how the A-League lacks teams with high levels of technical/tactical skill. Its a very physical league with good player commitment however there must be a place for your playmakers to do their thing..

I have watched at least 15 A-League games this season and apart from 2 or 3 the standard of refereeing has been poor.
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Yeah, Juninho made the very valid point that it is probably jepodising the probaboility of attracting more big name marquee signings such as himslef, coz they don;t want to come downunder just to get kicked around when ever they beat a man. Its ugly football. Joga Bonito for life.
Oh Wellington is wonderful. We got the wind, the rain and the phoenix. Oh Wellington is wonderful.
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Good point hellobeaver......great name too....by the way, how is Mrs Beaver ????

Anyway back to the football. I think we all would rather watch the Juninho's and Felipe's of the world showing all their skills .
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
People like Muscat are the last thing the league needs yet he gets hailed as a great Aussie who came home to play in the A-League
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
A-league is very rough and there are lots of stupid and proffessional fouls.
but the refs are not helping as well
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
They need more kiwi refs there is only one I know of
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
currently the style of football in the A-league strikes me as very immature, similar to what the lower divisions in Europe are like, form what I've seen. Once can only hope that as time goes on the skill level of both refs and players will change the hardcore physical defence to allow more skillful attacking playings to shine.

Queenslander 3x a year.

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
I think the refs are calling it as they are seeing it, overly physical. My original point to this thread was not about the refs but the players themselves and their lack of discipline. Sure there have been a few questionable reds, but there always will be. What here has been far to many of in my opinion is stupid luanching tackles, or unnecessary and petulant off the ball incidents. Thats not refs, thats players!

Normo's coming home

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Mr Muscat looks like he just stepped of the first convict ship in Botany Bay!!!
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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
More returning Socceroos = more stupid red cards. Tiatto, Moore, Muscat..

a.haak

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about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
james dean wrote:
I think the refs are calling it as they are seeing it, overly physical. My original point to this thread was not about the refs but the players themselves and their lack of discipline. Sure there have been a few questionable reds, but there always will be. What here has been far to many of in my opinion is stupid luanching tackles, or unnecessary and petulant off the ball incidents. Thats not refs, thats players!


true the number of cards has to be down to a combination of players actions and refereeing perceptions


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