Well, there's a lot of angst in the matchday thread about our average form so far this season. Some people have asked me at uni and stuff what I think, and I find it difficult to pin point anything in particular about the team... it's just been average.
So I was wondering what all you thought, if you had to choose one thing about the team so far that you think has most contributed to our poor away form and now loss of our home record, what would it be?
I tried to include most things, but if you thinks it's a combination or something else, chuck a vote onto whatever you think is the primary reason between them.
I know Michael and Buffon think we 'shouldn't start a revolution every week' and are too negative, but a fair few are thinking we're a bit average too so hopefully there's not too much angst about the angst!
e:actually, I allowed multiple votes... because i couldn't choose just one when i was voting!
GenericFan2010-11-03 21:39:17
So I was wondering what all you thought, if you had to choose one thing about the team so far that you think has most contributed to our poor away form and now loss of our home record, what would it be?
I tried to include most things, but if you thinks it's a combination or something else, chuck a vote onto whatever you think is the primary reason between them.
I know Michael and Buffon think we 'shouldn't start a revolution every week' and are too negative, but a fair few are thinking we're a bit average too so hopefully there's not too much angst about the angst!
e:actually, I allowed multiple votes... because i couldn't choose just one when i was voting!
GenericFan2010-11-03 21:39:17
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standard of other teams has drastically improved, adelaide from bottom to top, brisbane have reinvented the way they play, even Perth have made huge changes although they are back to their old tricks - we have stayed almost stagnant in the style of player we have in our squad. A lot of our guys excluding leo and ward lack pace, and when we are faced by teams with a midfield of skilled fast players we look lost. Whether that is a shortfall in management I'm not sure but we look terrible when defending against pace.
Queenslander 3x a year.
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Defence
North is absolutely useless.
Durante is the only decent defender we have.
North is absolutely useless.
Durante is the only decent defender we have.
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standard of other teams has drastically improved, adelaide from bottom to top, brisbane have reinvented the way they play, even Perth have made huge changes although they are back to their old tricks - we have stayed almost stagnant in the style of player we have in our squad. A lot of our guys excluding leo and ward lack pace, and when we are faced by teams with a midfield of skilled fast players we look lost. Whether that is a shortfall in management I'm not sure but we look terrible when defending against pace.
At the moment we look pretty terrible just defending
" If you only have a hammer you tend to see every problem as a nail" - maslow
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Combination of defence and midfield for me, but went defence as they really have been poor.
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Herbert.
subs:
Big mac for lia
Daniel for Bertos?
Ward for greenacre
WHAT THE f**k ?????
Elliot lost pace at the 5th minute mark. Why was he still on the field at 90 ?
we are losing so we bring off our striker. Yea that'll do it........
ffs.
subs:
Big mac for lia
Daniel for Bertos?
Ward for greenacre
WHAT THE f**k ?????
Elliot lost pace at the 5th minute mark. Why was he still on the field at 90 ?
we are losing so we bring off our striker. Yea that'll do it........
ffs.
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Herbert.
subs:
Big mac for lia
Daniel for Bertos?
Ward for greenacre
WHAT THE f**k ?????
Elliot lost pace at the 5th minute mark. Why was he still on the field at 90 ?
we are losing so we bring off our striker. Yea that'll do it........
ffs.
subs:
Big mac for lia
Daniel for Bertos?
Ward for greenacre
WHAT THE f**k ?????
Elliot lost pace at the 5th minute mark. Why was he still on the field at 90 ?
we are losing so we bring off our striker. Yea that'll do it........
ffs.
Exactly.
And this is a positive if it's fronted up to
auskiwi2010-11-03 22:01:34
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Manny was subbed off
Oi Oi Edgecumbe... lets have a clean sheet
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YES MANNY !!!
what happened with their 4th goal???
where was the left back ?
oh yea...... warming down.
what happened with their 4th goal???
where was the left back ?
oh yea...... warming down.
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Manny was subbed off
You did get the idea though, didn't you?
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Give that old bald prick Elliot a zimmer frame. He is the wrong style of player for the Phoenix. Any dickhead can sit in front of the back four all night long and ping balls around, why get a 36 year old to do it?
Our team lack fluidity and the ability to move the ball forward at pace, we looked like schoolboys tonight. My mind is boggled how Elliot and Brown managed to stay on the field when Greenacre was subbed for Ward. Oh my word brilliant tactical nous Rick.
Our team lack fluidity and the ability to move the ball forward at pace, we looked like schoolboys tonight. My mind is boggled how Elliot and Brown managed to stay on the field when Greenacre was subbed for Ward. Oh my word brilliant tactical nous Rick.
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By the way, Luck isn't something that is just with you. You have to WORK for your luck, put the effort in and the luck will come with it.
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Give that old bald prick Elliot a zimmer frame. He is the wrong style of player for the Phoenix. Any dickhead can sit in front of the back four all night long and ping balls around, why get a 36 year old to do it?
Our team lack fluidity and the ability to move the ball forward at pace, we looked like schoolboys tonight. My mind is boggled how Elliot and Brown managed to stay on the field when Greenacre was subbed for Ward. Oh my word brilliant tactical nous Rick.
Our team lack fluidity and the ability to move the ball forward at pace, we looked like schoolboys tonight. My mind is boggled how Elliot and Brown managed to stay on the field when Greenacre was subbed for Ward. Oh my word brilliant tactical nous Rick.
why can't everyone see this ?
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When I think about it, it's actually EVERYTHING for me.
Management - Ricki tries the same gameplan again and again and again. Keeps his favourites in the team no matter how crap they are playing, and thinks the way forward could be 3 at the back FFS!
Defence - Leaking goals like an absolute sieve since McKain went. North just seems to go through the motions, Siggy is average at best, and without Lochhead (who has his own faults) there is no balance at the back whatsoever. Why we've not got more cover at full back is really beyond me.
Midfield - Lia and Brown - the invisible men. Far too similar and many a game this season has simply passed them by. Too slow, not involved enough, no creativity whatsoever.
Attack - Ifill appears to be trying to take Hernandez's crown as laziest player in the league. Greenacre is trying to set a new world record for most times caught offside in a season. McAllister just doesn't really have it. Bertos might be better if 99% of his crosses didn't hit the first defender and his final pass/shot wasn't struck with all the conviction of a fairy.
And what about corner kicks?? Do they practice them? Will we ever score from a corner? Why do we have FIVE players outside the box at corners when the defending team has 11 players in the box??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe_B5CzbTJo - Caceres winning penalty v Perth - footage from the Fever Zone
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When I think about it, it's actually EVERYTHING for me.
Attack - Ifill appears to be trying to take Hernandez's crown as laziest player in the league. Greenacre is trying to set a new world record for most times caught offside in a season. McAllister just doesn't really have it. Bertos might be better if 99% of his crosses didn't hit the first defender and his final pass/shot wasn't struck with all the conviction of a fairy.
I'm sorry but I can't agree that on the lazy Ifill call. He was one of a very select few Phoenix players who seemed up for it tonight, at least before his legs started failing him. Recall him tracking back at full sprint in vein when one of our fullbacks was caught pathetically out of position for the 1st or 2nd goal.
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Hey Steve-O for our corners to be effective the best place to start would probably be find someone that can kick them over the first defender....
Greenacre also wouldn't be offside so much if players actually released the ball at the right time!
Greenacre also wouldn't be offside so much if players actually released the ball at the right time!
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Well that may well be but I bet the amount times I seen him walking about with hands on hips and head down probably outnumbers the amount of times he tracked back.
He got into a COUPLE of decent positions at times, but as usual he tried too much several times and lost the ball, and then didn't even attempt to get it back.
To be fair to him, he looks VERY frustrated, but he's just not doing it at the moment at all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe_B5CzbTJo - Caceres winning penalty v Perth - footage from the Fever Zone
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Hey Steve-O for our corners to be effective the best place to start would probably be find someone that can kick them over the first defender....
Greenacre also wouldn't be offside so much if players actually released the ball at the right time!
Greenacre also wouldn't be offside so much if players actually released the ball at the right time!
Greenacre needs to time his runs better...on the commentary v Adelaide it said he'd been caught offside 16 times this season - f'k knows how many more were added on to that tonight, another 3 or 4 probably. For an experienced player it is very poor and very frustrating to watch.
As for the corners, I agree. All we seem to do is chip them in with no real purpose. And, as I say, there's hardly anyone in the box to aim for because we have 6 out of 11 players standing outside the box!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe_B5CzbTJo - Caceres winning penalty v Perth - footage from the Fever Zone
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I thought Ifill had a very good game compared with most of his games this season.
We had some very good passages of play in the first half and very briefly midway through the second.
Sadly we were also very clumsy, coughing up the ball too easily and were quite woeful in passing. Roar showed us how to do quick one touch passes, we tried it a couple of times but still seem to think we should dribble it for a long time as well.
There is one good outcome: I can now wear stripey to the next home game (Phoenix City T might still make the odd appearance).
We had some very good passages of play in the first half and very briefly midway through the second.
Sadly we were also very clumsy, coughing up the ball too easily and were quite woeful in passing. Roar showed us how to do quick one touch passes, we tried it a couple of times but still seem to think we should dribble it for a long time as well.
There is one good outcome: I can now wear stripey to the next home game (Phoenix City T might still make the odd appearance).
"Phoenix till they lose"
Posting 97% bollox, 8% lies and 3.658% genuine opinion.
Genuine opinion: FTFFA
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Elliott Brown and Lia would not be my pick in midfield, certainly not on this seasons form.
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Elliot and Ward in centre midfield for me.
Brown scored a cracking goal tonight but for the rest of the match, and most of the season, he's been posted missing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe_B5CzbTJo - Caceres winning penalty v Perth - footage from the Fever Zone
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I chose other. The players just don't seem to be putting the effort in,bar a few.
Allegedly
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Manny was subbed off
Yep, Daniel for Manny and changed to a back 3
but Herbert for me is the biggest problem
no fullbacks, no defense
musical chairs selections and formations
wtf subs
two game plans - cross and hope, long ball and hope and mostly to a short a*se
i.e. for the reasons already posted, and including recruitment as part of the problem
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Combination of defence and midfield for me, but went defence as they really have been poor.
this is the same with me. What mid field????
and our defence is there spectating, watching us lose..
Calling all fans in Japan, come down and support the mighty nix in Osaka
http://www.facebook.com/WellingtonPhoenixClubMembersSupportersGroupOsaka
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And to think I ran home, desperately, to find out what was happening with my beloved Nix. Dumbfounded.
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I think the fact we've played the top two teams in the league in our last two games is a huge factor in the angst. If we'd played and beaten Perth and NQF, as an example, nobody would have a problem and our shaky start would be a distant memory.
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I think its time for Rikki to say goodbye to some of his favourites and start to build a team that does not go missing in action, can play a good passing and movement game, defence that supports each other, asergeant major type goalkeeper that bollocks his defenders when they stuff up....big job i guess
" If you only have a hammer you tend to see every problem as a nail" - maslow
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Im quite interested in the fact that there are a lot of votes for luck? when did luck have too much of a say over a whole season..answer=never
" If you only have a hammer you tend to see every problem as a nail" - maslow
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agreed, blaming a lack of luck really takes a lot of the focus off the players - we may have been a little unlucky but this run of form ahs to rest with the players not making the most of the opportunities they get. We;ve been scoring goals ok, we have both Ifill and Greenie at the top end of the goal scoring list, defensively we have been epically poor.
Queenslander 3x a year.
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I think its down to the fact that the poll allows multiple votes - that sort of poll always brings out the trolls. (Not saying everyone who voted luck is a troll, just its likely that someone is sitting there spamming it to be that high)
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to be honest this feels like our season is over for me. we need real changes somewhere. next game I would be tempted to start daniel, ward, and even pav. he was good aginst adelaide.
I even think Musa could have a role to play in our back line somewhere. Get him in young, rojas too. Start rotating them with bench roles. letr musa get on at left back and give him a run. I think Ricki just never wants to move away from his current tactics of a lonesome greenacre, a lazy ifill, and a non existent midfield attack.
For having effectively 5 in the middle last night, we were almost non-existent.
I even think Musa could have a role to play in our back line somewhere. Get him in young, rojas too. Start rotating them with bench roles. letr musa get on at left back and give him a run. I think Ricki just never wants to move away from his current tactics of a lonesome greenacre, a lazy ifill, and a non existent midfield attack.
For having effectively 5 in the middle last night, we were almost non-existent.
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when's Lochhead due back? I think they're missing height and strength in defence - North is just too small against these bigger teams. Other than D-Mac, the Nix looked head/shouders shorter than NQF last night. He should have come on a lot earlier IMO. NQF shut down our playmakers, and they didn't have a plan B. C'mon Nix!!
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what game were you watching, the only green thing out there was the pitch?
Queenslander 3x a year.
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when's Lochhead due back? I think they're missing height and strength in defence - North is just too small against these bigger teams. Other than D-Mac, the Nix looked head/shouders shorter than NQF last night. He should have come on a lot earlier IMO. NQF shut down our playmakers, and they didn't have a plan B. C'mon Nix!!
Ooops! 
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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Give that old bald prick Elliot a zimmer frame. He is the wrong style of player for the Phoenix. Any dickhead can sit in front of the back four all night long and ping balls around, why get a 36 year old to do it? Our team lack fluidity and the ability to move the ball forward at pace, we looked like schoolboys tonight.� My mind is boggled how Elliot and Brown managed to stay on the field when Greenacre was subbed for Ward. Oh my word brilliant tactical nous Rick.
why can't everyone see this ?
If anyone can do it, why haven't any of the other midfielders been able to?
Yellow Whever Whanganui
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Things haven't been the same since Tony P left us. I wouldn't be surprised if the Dom Post's witch hunt against Terry has somehow affected them mentally.
I still believe they can turn things around.
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I have to say, recruitment for this year has not been near as good as last season.
For all the crap that players like Caceres got, he was better than some we have in the squad right now.
And McKain was a huge loss, and that's proven to be so.
For all the crap that players like Caceres got, he was better than some we have in the squad right now.
And McKain was a huge loss, and that's proven to be so.
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