The good, the bad & the ugly from my point of view. Ok, a lot of you wont agree with this but opinions are like arseholes - everyone has one.
First up, the Nix are slowly improving except in that final 3rd. Stein nor Brockie seem to work together but work as two individuals. And Stein has proved why he is called "waffles" just friggen shoot man, you're not going to get lots of space in this league. brockie ended up going out way too wide to be effective. Carlos is trying to do his job as an AM but he is also having to do a CM role and even a DM roll far too often. Vinnie & Manny/Hicks are getting dragged into the middle and they are staying in there, leaving the wings unprotected and gifting the opposition way too much space. Once again Fenton has been left exposed with fuck all support except when either Siggie or Duro get dragged out of position to help the poor lad out. he's trying to make a go of it and I think midfield is letting him down by giving him no options out wide to pass to. Instead they're all in the central part of the park.
Brockie, Stein & Carlos should develop a shoot on sight attitude. Any richo..rico....deflection, could still create a chance for someone else. shit, even Vinnie wanted to shoot. Moss had a very comfortable game today, saved everything with ease except their goal which was probably in all honesty deserved. Perth were pressuring us a lot.
Now: The Fever Zone. WTF!!! You get the group stuck out in the open (No roof) and their voices were wasted ( When there wasn't any music blaring). They tried and you couldn't hear dick all (I was sitting on the halfway line). I'm pissed at myself for not joining them but I had other obligations - The Siggy Fan Club for starters. My apologies to the Zone for being MIA. If the hillbillies running the show down there had thought about it, the Zone would have been under a roofed part of the ground to generate noise. Now that stand I was in, was that the family stand? All around me I was surrounded by families,and babies so had to curtail my own usual performance. Although I did let out a few loud "Referee, you're a Dork" calls especially towards the end. My HN cutout made more effort than the friggen local crowd in the stand. We tried to get them going but no, they wanted to stay seated and quiet.
I can only assume it was full of Rugby fans coming along to watch. All stayed seated and clapped politely. I thought CHCH was meant to be a football hub but sadly they let themselves and the team down BIG time. Sorry CHCH but on that performance you really were disappointing. A 9.6k crowd makes me wonder if it was really worth it?
In fact our "Tour around NZ" games over the last 3 years are showing a decline in numbers is suggesting to me that the club should seriously reconsider trying to spread the word and sell a few tee shirts. If the locals can't be fucked showing up then let them be the ones missing out, keep our games in Wellington. The novelty factor has worn off. To those fellow fans whom have travelled to those "away" home games (or at least some of them, you have my total respect. You are awesome and make newbies as well as locals extremely welcome.
I Love CHCH. Ever since I was down there at Wigram during the early 80's. A beautiful city that has been shit on with the earthquakes. Something that wonderful city has never ever deserved. I like to support you down there with these trips. It has a strong football connection. But I am sorry, your numbers have seriously declined over the three games played there and there were shit loads of empty spaces. With everything else going on around the city over a two week period, I'd have thought this game would have been sold out and the stands packed. If not with locals, visitors there for Cup day etc.
Next - WTF was with that stupid music in small breaks during the second half? It was not a Rugby game, nor a cricket game and some retard kept trying yo play music. I hope David Dome has a chat to that fucken idiot! The ball was almost always back in play in less than 10 seconds. That guy was like the referee - a complete Dork!
Now the positives. Speights alehouse & bar. Awesome meals & great Beer. I missed the Cargo bar, mainly cause I got lost after leaving the Speights. A couple of Lager & Lime's on were to blame!
Another positive, those excellent $10 tee Shirts. I bought 4 of them. Excellent quality and nice and long. Well done the persons involved with them. I'm about to watch the game again and I may well come back into this and re-examin any comments I have made. My sincerest apologies to those whom I may have offended with this but as I said at the start, we all have our own opinions.