Wellington Phoenix Men

Broken Wings vs Phoenix - Match Thread.

672 replies · 5,023 views
over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Another very average performance to be honest.
Nothing new and every other team in the comp now knows what the Phoenix are about. Whack it up to Smeltz and Coveny for a flick on or 2 and scrap it out!!!
Well that doesnt cut it with me Im afraid. The best they can hope for is staying off the bottom of the table this season...2nd bottom at best.
A big thumbs up to Lei lei Gao and his superb skill to get the pen...lovely skill.
Nice pens by Smeltz also.
 
Still a disappointed fan here with the Phoenix.
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Man, Dodd has to go he's shocking. Does anyone else agree with me?
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Another no
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
...and another NO.

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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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
+ 1
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Yugoboss wrote:
Another very average performance to be honest.
Nothing new and every other team in the comp now knows what the Phoenix are about. Whack it up to Smeltz and Coveny for a flick on or 2 and scrap it out!!!
Well that doesnt cut it with me Im afraid. The best they can hope for is staying off the bottom of the table this season...2nd bottom at best.
A big thumbs up to Lei lei Gao and his superb skill to get the pen...lovely skill.
Nice pens by Smeltz also.
 
Still a disappointed fan here with the Phoenix.


Gaos superb skill getting us a penalty? Since when has getting rugby tackled been a 'superb skill'
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
And NO!
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Definite no!

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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Another No.

Dodds been great when played at CB, was only terrible when in midfield
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
caseym wrote:
Another No.

Dodds been great when played at CB, was only terrible when in midfield
 
Which goes way back to all last season as well
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
What was that guy thinking when he said that?
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

To whoever has given the lino any slack re that off-side ...

It was bloody obvious and a very difficult one for the lino to get wrong. You can give a lino a break when he's trying compare the relative position of a defender on one side of the pitch and an attacking player on the other, but they were right next to each other last night - and Zura was clearly half a yard ahead of Dodd.  Poor
 
Overall, i wasnt convninced by our performance - nor theirs. You cant turn your nose up at an away point, but we are just not creating enough chances. We were 2-1 down for close to 20 minutes before we finally showed some desperation in the last 5. Having said that, we defended pretty effectively right across the backline and Newcasttle was not woth 2 goals either. I liked the look of Lochead, Dura, Dodd and Siggy.
 
And that was an excellent piece of skill by Gao to get the Pen, I agree. Stupid challenge, but you cant blame Gao for that - he had done his bit by beating Thompson, who panicked.
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
I think the two commentators put an interesting perspective on the game - and for once Andy Harper was genuinely impartial - when they frequently made comment on the heat affecting the players, and how they were doing well in what were extremely harsh conditions - with daylight saving, the game was effectively at 2pm the hottest time of the day.
I once played a rugby grand final at this time of the year over there in 34 degree heat. I don't think Kiwis can really appreciate just how difficult that is.
Bearing all that in mind, I was actually pretty happy with the performance - they stuck it out, both goals they conceded had a touch of luck involved - while we created chances and could have had another but for the width of a post. The lads battled, and they also passed the ball around much better than they had in the opening rounds.
BTW, Didn't Newcastle win the whole thing last year after a similar start.
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
If Leo is back next game would love to see Lei Lei start upfront with smeltz
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
It would be INTERESTING
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
I don't think so, he doesn't have enough strength to battle away as a striker, but hey I suppose it couldn't hurt to try
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
caseym wrote:
I don't think so, he doesn't have enough strength to battle away as a striker, but hey I suppose it couldn't hurt to try


Didn't stop Micheal Owens and such like did it? He has speed, skill and a gusty determination. As demonstrated, he slipped past Thomson and gained a penalty. So strength is not an issue. He has only need to have the ball at his feet to do stuff and he doesn't need that much upper body strength with the space and speed he has. there is only so much a defender can do without fouling him.
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
TOO TRUE
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Agree on that. I think we need Gao, Bertos and Daniel on the field at the same time to inject some pace and urgency into the attack.
If we still want to play 442 then one of them, either Gao or Daniel plays up front with Smeltz, then thats fine by me.
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Agreed, although Covs might be a bit disapointed with Ricki if that happens!
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Gao's got great skill but I don't think he's playing as well as he could. He's pretty effective there where he is in attacking midfield but I'd really like to see him use his skill to run at the defence, make half a yard of space and have a crack.
 
Too often he gets the ball around the penalty box and, as seems to be the way with the Phoenix at the moment, knocks it wide for someone to cross. Brown alone has given the example of how potent a decent midfield strike on goal can be, and I think Gao is more than capable of causing defences a lot of trouble (in fact, about his only bold move in Newcastle's penalty box brought an instant result with the penalty).
 
Same goes for Daniel, who in my opinion is superior to Kwasnik in every respect.
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Torne wrote:
Agreed, although Covs might be a bit disapointed with Ricki if that happens!
So what he's a seasoned pro who can deal with it and make way for the better players we have in the squad.
You know we belong together...

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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
StopOut wrote:
Gao's got great skill but I don't think he's playing as well as he could. He's pretty effective there where he is in attacking midfield but I'd really like to see him use his skill to run at the defence, make half a yard of space and have a crack.
 
Too often he gets the ball around the penalty box and, as seems to be the way with the Phoenix at the moment, knocks it wide for someone to cross. Brown alone has given the example of how potent a decent midfield strike on goal can be, and I think Gao is more than capable of causing defences a lot of trouble (in fact, about his only bold move in Newcastle's penalty box brought an instant result with the penalty).
 
Same goes for Daniel, who in my opinion is superior to Kwasnik in every respect.
 
agree with the Leilei comments
 
and with the kwasi/daniel comment
 
i suppose Kwasi is less likely to do something daft (and - on the basis of everything except his goal on Newtown park 2 - considerably less likely to do something a bit special)
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Didn't kwas score against Sydney pre-season? wonder why he hasn't been able to since?
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Messy wrote:
Didn't kwas score against Sydney pre-season? wonder why he hasn't been able to since?


Scored against Queensland in the PSC. Smeltz, Gao and Hearfield scored against Sydney.

Scoring in the PSC ain't the same as scoring in the real thing.
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Torne wrote:
Lei Lei upfrpnt would be interesting, maybe even Tim Brown... hes got a good boot
 
 
Lets put moss upfront then. and smeltz in goal.
 
Havent you realized that tim browns a mid.  Scoring one goal in a game doesnt make him a star striker.
Also just because you are new ( you dont know who plodder was) stop critisising everyone that has a great game.
 
 
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
What are we gonna do this weekend? No game to watch, I'm feeling lost 
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

I reckon we should change Johnson for Mckain, or make the change as a sub (so Brown McKain midfield- that would be brutal! Jonas who?), and have Draper on the bench. He should get something of a run, and it also puts Kwasnik and Covs on notice to get into goal scoring positions and take good shots.

Plus Draper might come up with the goods.


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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
I like what you're saying Martinb. McKain's too good to be left on the bench, and he has experience playing at centre mid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_McKain for those who doubt).
And start Daniel in place of Kwasnik or Covs and put Draper on the bench, I've liked what I've seen of him coming off the bench for the under 23s, surely he can't do less than Covs is at the moment?
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over 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Leeds_Chris wrote:
I like what you're saying Martinb. McKain's too good to be left on the bench, and he has experience playing at centre mid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_McKain for those who doubt).
And start Daniel in place of Kwasnik or Covs and put Draper on the bench, I've liked what I've seen of him coming off the bench for the under 23s, surely he can't do less than Covs is at the moment?


I think Coveny still has a lot to offer, and I haven't minded the starting role for him at all. Kwasnik at the 'Nix is still a work in progress, possibly needing to play as regular left mid. I thought he had a great game against Sydney. But yeh, Draper had some skills, no harm in letting him try them out- and if he can get a goal great!

Hearfield has had a run and been at times impressive, but also butchered chances. Surely Draper deserves a few minutes to get a taste, and be tested at the A league level? If he comes off to any degree the 'Nix are better off.


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