My teenage son has already lost interest and simply stoipped coming because he thinks the Nix are crap.
If you re-read my post you will see I am trying to be constructive. It's the attitude of people like you on this forum that brings it down - anyone who supports Chelsea, Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool is a glory hunting c**t etc., just because we have a football team in Wellington we can only say positive things about it. Actually, my son doesn't support Chelsea, only the Nix. And he's bored with it. He's a teenage so get over it. I have.
I'm on here and I say what I say because I care. I watch this team every week so I know what I'm talking about. You're too busy reading your own publicity and living up to your image to know what the f*ck is actually going on.
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this is turning onto a jerry springer show.....I am waiting for the grown man who wears a nappy to jump out on stage and tell us all how much he likes to be spanked 
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That'll be Feverish... he's too hungover.
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If you re-read my post you will see I am trying to be constructive. It's the attitude of people like you on this forum that brings it down - anyone who supports Chelsea, Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool is a glory hunting c**t etc., just because we have a football team in Wellington we can only say positive things about it. Actually, my son doesn't support Chelsea, only the Nix. And he's bored with it. He's a teenage so get over it. I have.
I'm on here and I say what I say because I care. I watch this team every week so I know what I'm talking about. You're too busy reading your own publicity and living up to your image to know what the f*ck is actually going on.
i support the nix and dag & red i think i need a new sport to support..maybe underwater hockey
i think i need a new sport to support..maybe underwater hockey
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I find it interesting that the people shouting about how crap the season was are delighting in telling us that the players aren't good enough, we need wholesale changes etc, etc.
I'd have thought with a team as bad as you guys seem to think we are, going into the last game of the season still with a chance of play-off spot wasn't a bad effort.
While I don't think that supporting Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea etc means you don't know anything about football, there is a certain instant gratification factor about some supporters of those teams. The Phoenix have been in existence for only 2 seasons. There has been improvement from season 1 to season 2. I have no reason to believe that improvement won't continue next season.
I'd have thought with a team as bad as you guys seem to think we are, going into the last game of the season still with a chance of play-off spot wasn't a bad effort.
While I don't think that supporting Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea etc means you don't know anything about football, there is a certain instant gratification factor about some supporters of those teams. The Phoenix have been in existence for only 2 seasons. There has been improvement from season 1 to season 2. I have no reason to believe that improvement won't continue next season.
imo it shows more about the mentality of NZ football suporters. After so much disappointment we settle for mediocrity. Understandable I guess.
a.haak
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That'll be Feverish... he's too hungover.
to get on stage ? haha
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I find it interesting that the people shouting about how crap the season was are delighting in telling us that the players aren't good enough, we need wholesale changes etc, etc.
I'd have thought with a team as bad as you guys seem to think we are, going into the last game of the season still with a chance of play-off spot wasn't a bad effort.
While I don't think that supporting Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea etc means you don't know anything about football, there is a certain instant gratification factor about some supporters of those teams. The Phoenix have been in existence for only 2 seasons. There has been improvement from season 1 to season 2. I have no reason to believe that improvement won't continue next season.
I'd have thought with a team as bad as you guys seem to think we are, going into the last game of the season still with a chance of play-off spot wasn't a bad effort.
While I don't think that supporting Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea etc means you don't know anything about football, there is a certain instant gratification factor about some supporters of those teams. The Phoenix have been in existence for only 2 seasons. There has been improvement from season 1 to season 2. I have no reason to believe that improvement won't continue next season.
imo it shows more about the mentality of NZ football suporters. After so much disappointment we settle for mediocrity. Understandable I guess.
Spot on. And we celebrate it.
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I find it interesting that the people shouting about how crap the season was are delighting in telling us that the players aren't good enough, we need wholesale changes etc, etc.
I'd have thought with a team as bad as you guys seem to think we are, going into the last game of the season still with a chance of play-off spot wasn't a bad effort.
While I don't think that supporting Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea etc means you don't know anything about football, there is a certain instant gratification factor about some supporters of those teams. The Phoenix have been in existence for only 2 seasons. There has been improvement from season 1 to season 2. I have no reason to believe that improvement won't continue next season.
I'd have thought with a team as bad as you guys seem to think we are, going into the last game of the season still with a chance of play-off spot wasn't a bad effort.
While I don't think that supporting Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea etc means you don't know anything about football, there is a certain instant gratification factor about some supporters of those teams. The Phoenix have been in existence for only 2 seasons. There has been improvement from season 1 to season 2. I have no reason to believe that improvement won't continue next season.
imo it shows more about the mentality of NZ football suporters. After so much disappointment we settle for mediocrity. Understandable I guess.
Spot on. And we celebrate it.
but in all honesty we shouldnt
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I don't think it is settling at all. Judging by some of the comments on this forum it would be fair to say that people expect good results.
The wider public expect poor results, but will happily jump on the band wagon if a sporting team (breakers, warriors, windy rugby players) does well. There are one or two of those people on here but its not even worth acknowledging their presence when the chips are down.
The wider public expect poor results, but will happily jump on the band wagon if a sporting team (breakers, warriors, windy rugby players) does well. There are one or two of those people on here but its not even worth acknowledging their presence when the chips are down.
Central Hawkes Bay Nix
and tragic follower of Charlton Athletic
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I find it interesting that the people shouting about how
crap the season was are delighting in telling us that the players
aren't good enough, we need wholesale changes etc, etc.
I'd have thought with a team as bad as you guys seem to think we are, going into the last game of the season still with a chance of play-off spot wasn't a bad effort.
While I don't think that supporting Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea etc means you don't know anything about football, there is a certain instant gratification factor about some supporters of those teams. The Phoenix have been in existence for only 2 seasons. There has been improvement from season 1 to season 2. I have no reason to believe that improvement won't continue next season.
I'd have thought with a team as bad as you guys seem to think we are, going into the last game of the season still with a chance of play-off spot wasn't a bad effort.
While I don't think that supporting Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea etc means you don't know anything about football, there is a certain instant gratification factor about some supporters of those teams. The Phoenix have been in existence for only 2 seasons. There has been improvement from season 1 to season 2. I have no reason to believe that improvement won't continue next season.
I see your point of view Jag and again I wasn't suggesting wholesale changes. I was suggesting that IF the Phoenix management decided that they wanted to bring in 5 or 6 better players, there are squad spots available to do that. I think there is alot to be said for continuity but as it is, there are 3 players not back next year so there will be some new faces.
As for suggestions, I will be honest and say I don't know enough about individual players globally to suggest anyone because I don't really support any teams other than the Nix. I can only comment what I know on and thats the 23 names that are on the Phoenix sheet plus current A League players. I personally would not resign Richard Johnson primarily because of age and injury and I am a fan of him when he has played. Lia is coming back and if the nix choose to resign Christie, it makes it hard to have a 5th holding midfielder (is that Lia's and Christie's true position?)
If you're so f**king football worldy Frankie, you suggest something because I haven't seen you come up with a solution yet.
Agent 472009-01-25 23:36:46
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I just don't see how sl*gging off a new signing before he has even arrived is being constructive.
I have no problem with supporters of the Big 4 (trademark Sky TV), but I do with the expectations supporting these teams brings. I said it in an earlier thread that when people support teams who win over 70% of all the games they play, it sets a standard that teams like the nix have no chance of matching. As long as people realise that, and change their expectations accordingly we will all be fine.
You're too busy reading your own publicity and living up to your image to know what the f*ck is actually going on.
I am pretty sure that that is the first thing of yours that I have read and been impressed by. 
All I do is make the stuff I would've liked
Reference things I wanna watch, reference girls I wanna bite
Now I'm firefly like a burning kite
And yousa fake fuck like a fleshlight
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I find it interesting that the people shouting about how crap the season was are delighting in telling us that the players aren't good enough, we need wholesale changes etc, etc.
I'd have thought with a team as bad as you guys seem to think we are, going into the last game of the season still with a chance of play-off spot wasn't a bad effort.
While I don't think that supporting Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea etc means you don't know anything about football, there is a certain instant gratification factor about some supporters of those teams. The Phoenix have been in existence for only 2 seasons. There has been improvement from season 1 to season 2. I have no reason to believe that improvement won't continue next season.
I'd have thought with a team as bad as you guys seem to think we are, going into the last game of the season still with a chance of play-off spot wasn't a bad effort.
While I don't think that supporting Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea etc means you don't know anything about football, there is a certain instant gratification factor about some supporters of those teams. The Phoenix have been in existence for only 2 seasons. There has been improvement from season 1 to season 2. I have no reason to believe that improvement won't continue next season.
I see your point of view Jag and again I wasn't suggesting wholesale changes. I was suggesting that IF the Phoenix management decided that they wanted to bring in 5 or 6 better players, there are squad spots available to do that. I think there is alot to be said for continuity but as it is, there are 3 players not back next year so there will be some new faces.
As for suggestions, I will be honest and say I don't know enough about individual players globally to suggest anyone because I don't really support any teams other than the Nix. I can only comment what I know on and thats the 23 names that are on the Phoenix sheet plus current A League players. I personally would not resign Richard Johnson primarily because of age and injury and I am a fan of him when he has played. Lia is coming back and if the nix choose to resign Christie, it makes it hard to have a 5th holding midfielder (is that Lia's and Christie's true position?)
If you're so f**king football wordly Frankie, you suggest something because I haven't seen you come up with a solution yet.
frankie wamts you to do it for him then if it doesnt work you'll cope the blame
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Voted 'average'. Anything outside the top four has to be considered that. That's if we want to be taken seriously.
Tony P's B+ grade on radiosport last week was nothing but hyperbole.
Honestly - our season was all over the place. Disastrous start. THen a mini recovery. Another Slump. Then a decent run. Then fell over when it counted.
(just imagine if one of your university essay's followed this pattern...ouch!)
But right from the start, the failure of the 'free Joel Porter saga' was the season killer.
Top four next season please.
Quite frankly, I think we deserve nothing less.
But how we get there and with what?
f**ked if I know.
Stevo2009-01-25 23:41:35
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I didn't say that I expect them to win 70% of their games. It's a salary capped league and everyone understands that/ I just said that I don't think it can be described as a 'good' season when you come 6th out of 8 teams - no matter what the situation. No one should be happy with that. Should we be happy with how our defence has been improved? Sure. But it still hasn't got us into the top 4 which is where we aimed to be.
valeo2009-01-25 23:39:30
a.haak
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If you're so f**king football wordly Frankie, you suggest something because I haven't seen you come up with a solution yet.
I can't recommend anyone better, so I don't sl*g off who we have. With a number of players I am aware of their limitations, but accept them because that is our squad. Like any fan, I would like better players across the squad, but also realise that getting them is very difficult (speaking to people like tony P make you realise that life isn't a game of Football Manager) so the club does the best that it can. Sometimes signings work (Fred if circumstances didn't screw things up) and sometimes they don't (Lazy Gao, George, etc)
All I do is make the stuff I would've liked
Reference things I wanna watch, reference girls I wanna bite
Now I'm firefly like a burning kite
And yousa fake fuck like a fleshlight
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Voted 'average'. Anything outside the top four has to be considered that. That's if we want to be taken seriously.
Tony P's B+ grade on radiosport last week was nothing but hyperbole.
Honestly - our season was all over the place. Disastrous start. THen a mini recovery. Another Slump. Then a decent run. Then fell over when it counted.
But right from the start, the failure of the 'free Joel Porter saga' was the season killer.
Top four next season please.
Quite frankly, I think we deserve nothing less.
well said i totally agree
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If you're so f**king football wordly Frankie, you suggest something because I haven't seen you come up with a solution yet.
I can't recommend anyone better, so I don't sl*g off who we have. With a number of players I am aware of their limitations, but accept them because that is our squad. Like any fan, I would like better players across the squad, but also realise that getting them is very difficult (speaking to people like tony P make you realise that life isn't a game of Football Manager) so the club does the best that it can. Sometimes signings work (Fred if circumstances didn't screw things up) and sometimes they don't (Lazy Gao, George, etc)
Right cool, something intelligent to work with.
You make a fair point about not sl*gging off the players we have if there is nothing better. I can certainly appreciate that philosophy and perhaps would be wiser to adopt that myself. I would say though that there will be better players and while I think we did have a good season, if those players were good enough, would we have not finished higher? Adshead said he had this team that was going to do it. Do what again? They trumpeted some signings and we (well most) went 'ohh, ahh' My how much better is the NZ franchise since they were the Knights. Because they got better players. Maybe not a good comparison but it kinda explains what I am getting at.
#2) Jeremy Christie
#5) Karl Dodd
#12) Richard Johnson
#15) Adam Kwasnik
#19) Greg Draper (Youth)
Those are 5 players not signed plus Moss, Smeltz and Coveny gone. While I wouldn't say its necessarily the case, would it not be fair to say that if Ricki and Tony wanted them back and those players wanted to come back, they would have been signed by now perhaps? Especially in light of wanting to recruit new blood and having the current lot settled for the sake of creating a feeling of calm and continuity?
You also have to understand, we don't speak to Tony P like you back room guys do. We don't get the inside word, and you guys don't share that priveleged info (fair enough). I tried an experiment 3 weeks ago of fantasy CEO for a day and most of the posts were ridiculous but it certainly highlighted how hard it is to find/get better players.
I think the Phoenix will be a much better team next year because they have a nice core in there and have made a promising signing and are proactive in trying to bring in better players (when Gao became available and also Fred) I just get a feeling they will be doing it better next year with a input of new faces. Who they are, remains to be seen.
Agent 472009-01-25 23:53:45
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imo it shows more about the mentality of NZ football suporters. After so much disappointment we settle for mediocrity. Understandable I guess.
Seems to me that the more prevalent attitude is "if we haven't won the champion's league by this time next week, then I won't be going back".
Interesting this "settling for mediocrity" bullsh*t line that's trotted out regularly in this country. I can't recall anybdy on here "settling for mediocrity". I don't remember anyone posting and telling how excited they were at finishing 6th. If they have, then I apologise.
I posted earlier that I was happy with what we achieved, given what we achieved it with. It's an appreciation that, with the deficiencies in our squad, we probably went about as far as we could go. That's realism, not 'settling for mediocrity'.
I expect that we will add to, and improve the squad and I have, maybe irrationally, considerably higher expectations for next season.
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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A very good season. Built substantially from last year and we are a far more attractive option for players now than we were at the start of the season. If anything, the only thing that has taken the backwards from the first season is the crowd - both in size and the attitude (from what I have heard)
"Attitude, (from what I've heard)"? What attitude? The regular crew that sits around me and others that I have a chat with before and after the match at the BB sing their hearts out and attend most/all home matches. The YF is wonderful and despite alot of poor media coverage, crappy match times and apathy from Wellington in general we can still make a bigger noise than anyone else's fans.
I don't think you can comment on things like that when your not here Frankie.
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A very good season. Built substantially from last year and we are a far more attractive option for players now than we were at the start of the season. If anything, the only thing that has taken the backwards from the first season is the crowd - both in size and the attitude (from what I have heard)
"Attitude, (from what I've heard)"? What attitude? The regular crew that sits around me and others that I have a chat with before and after the match at the BB sing their hearts out and attend most/all home matches. The YF is wonderful and despite alot of poor media coverage, crappy match times and apathy from Wellington in general we can still make a bigger noise than anyone else's fans.
I don't think you can comment on things like that when your not here Frankie.
I assume you read the "from what i have heard".
What I meant from that comment is that obviously the crowd numbers are down, but even the crowd that is there have a different expectation level. the hardcore will always be there singing their hearts out no matter what happens on the pitch (and by all accounts the singing has been better this season) but the part time fans seem to turn up expecting Brazil 1970' s football and wins. I use the term "part time" because I cannot think of another way to describe it - basically people who go when the mood takes them, not every week.
In the first season there was an almost unyeilding positivity from the crowd, where this season they seemed to be a bit quicker to get on the teams back when they weren't playing well. Not to the Sydney/Newcastle levels (booing their own players, etc) but enough for people to mention it to me when they talk about the games.
I don't know if the unyielding positivity is the right way to go, but I would think that somewhere betweent the 2 seasons would be the area to aim at.
All I do is make the stuff I would've liked
Reference things I wanna watch, reference girls I wanna bite
Now I'm firefly like a burning kite
And yousa fake fuck like a fleshlight
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A very good season. Built substantially from last year and we are a far more attractive option for players now than we were at the start of the season. If anything, the only thing that has taken the backwards from the first season is the crowd - both in size and the attitude (from what I have heard)
"Attitude, (from what I've heard)"? What attitude? The regular crew that sits around me and others that I have a chat with before and after the match at the BB sing their hearts out and attend most/all home matches. The YF is wonderful and despite alot of poor media coverage, crappy match times and apathy from Wellington in general we can still make a bigger noise than anyone else's fans.
I don't think you can comment on things like that when your not here Frankie.
I assume you read the "from what i have heard".
What I meant from that comment is that obviously the crowd numbers are down, but even the crowd that is there have a different expectation level. the hardcore will always be there singing their hearts out no matter what happens on the pitch (and by all accounts the singing has been better this season) but the part time fans seem to turn up expecting Brazil 1970' s football and wins. I use the term "part time" because I cannot think of another way to describe it - basically people who go when the mood takes them, not every week.
In the first season there was an almost unyeilding positivity from the crowd, where this season they seemed to be a bit quicker to get on the teams back when they weren't playing well. Not to the Sydney/Newcastle levels (booing their own players, etc) but enough for people to mention it to me when they talk about the games.
I don't know if the unyielding positivity is the right way to go, but I would think that somewhere betweent the 2 seasons would be the area to aim at.
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Perhaps it's not surprising that there is an element of "settling for mediocrity" among some, given the less than impressive record of NZ involvement in Oz football leagues. Forming a whole new football club on the back of these failures demands a healthy dose of realism from everyone from Serepisos at the top right down to the humblest fan.
So far just about every aspect of how the Phoenix has been run and maintained has impressed me: management, coaching, players, fanbase, etc. It's obvious there are many Kiwis, and Australians, involved with big ambitions for the club, so I kind of feel like it's in the safe hands of quietly confident and capable people. Don't forget too that almost every other club's supporters this year have had good reason to whinge - I don't even need to name them because with the possible exception of Adelaide they've all been crap in patches.
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A very good season. Built substantially from last year and we are a far more attractive option for players now than we were at the start of the season. If anything, the only thing that has taken the backwards from the first season is the crowd - both in size and the attitude (from what I have heard)
"Attitude, (from what I've heard)"? What attitude? The regular crew that sits around me and others that I have a chat with before and after the match at the BB sing their hearts out and attend most/all home matches. The YF is wonderful and despite alot of poor media coverage, crappy match times and apathy from Wellington in general we can still make a bigger noise than anyone else's fans.
I don't think you can comment on things like that when your not here Frankie.
I assume you read the "from what i have heard".
What I meant from that comment is that obviously the crowd numbers are down, but even the crowd that is there have a different expectation level. the hardcore will always be there singing their hearts out no matter what happens on the pitch (and by all accounts the singing has been better this season) but the part time fans seem to turn up expecting Brazil 1970' s football and wins. I use the term "part time" because I cannot think of another way to describe it - basically people who go when the mood takes them, not every week.
In the first season there was an almost unyeilding positivity from the crowd, where this season they seemed to be a bit quicker to get on the teams back when they weren't playing well. Not to the Sydney/Newcastle levels (booing their own players, etc) but enough for people to mention it to me when they talk about the games.
I don't know if the unyielding positivity is the right way to go, but I would think that somewhere betweent the 2 seasons would be the area to aim at.
Yeah but that's to be expected. Terry S was a real big time charlie last season, on the telly all the time and bought Beckham over here, which was massive for the "part time" fans. The exposure has been nowhere near that this season.
I've never known anyone at home to boo players, like you say, but I've never known anyone to be really openly critical either. Apart from a certain Burnley fan, (no not Turf), who likes to call Daniel "a fairy" etc when he falls over but he's a law onto himself that lad 
.
.Quite the opposite, when Brown got sent off we applauded him and supported him. We applaude the team and even stayed behind when they did that annoying warm down routine, (early in the season).
I know we are diifferent but I talk to a few people who are not in the YF zone and no one has said anything that makes me think they are any different to us in how they treat the players on the pitch.
I wonder if you/they are getting mixed up with what goes on here?
I say fair play if people want to moan and whinge here, it's what supporting a team is all about, and I don't understand that we somehow need to go around with a fixed grin on our faces when we have played like sh*te.
This place is no different than pretty much any other football fan forum. if anything we are a hell of a lot more dignified and less scathing of a players than most. You should check out some of the comments on the Sydney forums re: Aloisi a few months back, calling him a c*nt and all sorts. Or the Portsmouth fan forums today.
Some of the guys I know have not attended as many matches this season, but they know not to expect Brazil or Ajax or whatever it's just their circumstances have changed.
Like I've said before the club needs to sink more into the Wellington Psyche. I must say I've been a little disapointed with crowd numbers but we have to just keep on going to the home matches and away if possible and each keep bigging up the profile of the club. I wear a nix polo top to work etc, come in after a match and cannot talk, cuse I've lost my voice, and I know a couple of people who are willing to go next season becasue I've said how great it is 
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imo it shows more about the mentality of NZ football suporters. After so much disappointment we settle for mediocrity. Understandable I guess.
Seems to me that the more prevalent attitude is "if we haven't won the champion's league by this time next week, then I won't be going back".
Interesting this "settling for mediocrity" bullsh*t line that's trotted out regularly in this country. I can't recall anybdy on here "settling for mediocrity". I don't remember anyone posting and telling how excited they were at finishing 6th. If they have, then I apologise.
I posted earlier that I was happy with what we achieved, given what we achieved it with. It's an appreciation that, with the deficiencies in our squad, we probably went about as far as we could go. That's realism, not 'settling for mediocrity'.
I expect that we will add to, and improve the squad and I have, maybe irrationally, considerably higher expectations for next season.
There is a difference between accepting that our squad probably wasn't good enough to make the top 4 and being 'happy' with being 6th like some people are.
a.haak
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I think you guys in Wellington have done a brilliant job and I mean the whole Phoenix scene in that. You have with a smaller population and football scene population made a complete mockery of how we were in Auckland with the Kingz/Knights. The crowds have dropped away a bit this season but your bottom line has been 300% or more better than our bottom line. I remember watching the under 17 boys world cup final with roughly 23,000 people attending and then that weekend the Kingz played Canberra in front of 1,700 people. The backbone of support of the club is far more healthy than we provided for the Kingz/Knights. A drop in crowd numbers was always a probability this season but the numbers attending at the worst gate figures still shows a depth that gives you a great position going forward.
This website and the Yellow fever noisy bastards at the games have been fantastic. The team itself has shown improvement and thats the right direction to be heading. The future looks really bright to me.
I guess if you wanted you could sit and look at it from a negative position but a bit of balance would help and I suspect the better angle with respect to next season would be to accentuate the positive and build from there. This seasons improvement has helped grab back a huge chunk of credibility for a NZ team in the A League. The team are no longer the easy points to collect and in fact with a couple of bits of luck and some better reffing the nix might well have finished in the top 4 comfortably. Im looking forward to next season with a big lump of optimism.
This website and the Yellow fever noisy bastards at the games have been fantastic. The team itself has shown improvement and thats the right direction to be heading. The future looks really bright to me.
I guess if you wanted you could sit and look at it from a negative position but a bit of balance would help and I suspect the better angle with respect to next season would be to accentuate the positive and build from there. This seasons improvement has helped grab back a huge chunk of credibility for a NZ team in the A League. The team are no longer the easy points to collect and in fact with a couple of bits of luck and some better reffing the nix might well have finished in the top 4 comfortably. Im looking forward to next season with a big lump of optimism.
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No one should be happy with 6th place, a big minus goal difference, more defeats than wins etc. Yes, we've made progress. A sort of slow, stuttering progress but too often performances were well below par and unacceptable. The boys did well to re-group after a shocking start but never looked like top four material and 1 point from the final 9 is nothing to be proud of. Our crowds speak for themselves and are nothing to do with timing, weather, stat holidays or any other excuses that regularly get trotted out. Now the novelty of a Wellington team has worn off, people's expectations are much higher and we simply have to do better to attract and keep new fans. My teenage son has already lost interest and simply stoipped coming because he thinks the Nix are crap.
Ricki is still the man for the job but he needs to show the same ruthless decision making he showed at the end of last season and make sure we bring five or six quality new signings into the squad. If Draper isn't good enough he has to go and be replaced by someone who is good enough to get in the team. Ditto Johnson, Mulligan, Christie and anyone else who hasn't contributed much this season. It's not just replacing Smeltz and Moss. We have to find better than we currently have and I reckon we have 5-6 vacancies to fill.
Next year will be tougher, not easier, with the new teams coming in. We simply CANNOT sit back and say this season was good enough and that we're two or three players away.
Good post Jose's Dog!
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Some really good posts in here.An enjoyable read. No need for the personal abuse.
I am satisfied with the progress this year.
I am satisfied with the progress this year.
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This season was IMO more of a building block than last season. We started off with a bang in the pre-season cup, losing to Melbourne in the final... then had a really bad patch of form, clawed our way back and by the end of the season have a solid defensive record (red cards aside) - ended up with one must win game and again lost to Melbourne in the last game.
From season 1 to 2 we were all looking at each other wondering how we would sort out our woeful defense, at the end of season 2 we're now pretty much happy with our defense (and have them resigned) and are looking for attacking options to compliment the defense.
This balancing act will never end of course, but the Phoenix are now a solid team that will make the playoffs next season with a couple of strikers... unless we get an Aloisi :P
From season 1 to 2 we were all looking at each other wondering how we would sort out our woeful defense, at the end of season 2 we're now pretty much happy with our defense (and have them resigned) and are looking for attacking options to compliment the defense.
This balancing act will never end of course, but the Phoenix are now a solid team that will make the playoffs next season with a couple of strikers... unless we get an Aloisi :P
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http://www.sportsfreak.co.nz/show-column.asp?ID=622
What are your views on it as it is about we should be feeling.. very interesting tbh
ive got a song that wont take long, Adelaide are rubbish.. the second verse is same as the first.. ADELAIDE ARE RUBBISH
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The sportsfreak article...
Incredibly harsh.
But some of it is fair.
But a lot of it is complete crap.
There's also several incorrect facts - while somewhat minor - hardly lends the author credibility.
Especially when you're trying to look like an honest, hard-arse, 'I'm gonna call a spade a f**king shovel', writer.
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Aggree with Stevo. Lots of Bullsh*t bur a few good points. Although to compare the Phoenix to the Knights is laughable. The final position of our first season is where the similarities end. The Phoenix actually have decent management, a decent fan base and would play competitive football.
The Start of our season did cost us though.
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Aggree with Stevo. Lots of Bullsh*t bur a few good points. Although to compare the Phoenix to the Knights is laughable. The final position of our first season is where the similarities end. The Phoenix actually have decent management, a decent fan base and would play competitive football.
The Start of our season did cost us though.
The knights did that you know,
ive got a song that wont take long, Adelaide are rubbish.. the second verse is same as the first.. ADELAIDE ARE RUBBISH
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It never fails to amaze me what passes for journalism these days - tell us what we already know, add a few provocative comments and throw in a few "facts" and there you have it - an instant article.
Whitby boy2009-01-26 16:03:32
On a more positive note - I do enjoy Piney's insightful blogs on 4-4-2
He dribbles a lot and the opposition dont like it - you can see it all over their faces. (Ron Atkinson)
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Aggree with Stevo. Lots of Bullsh*t bur a few good points. Although to compare the Phoenix to the Knights is laughable. The final position of our first season is where the similarities end. The Phoenix actually have decent management, a decent fan base and would play competitive football.
The Start of our season did cost us though.
The knights did that you know,
Yes because 6 points in a single season is competitive 
And a combined Goal Difference of -58 in 2 seasons is brilliant.
Gangsta!2009-01-26 16:12:06
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can't see the point in making this all nasty and personal lads, we all suport our team in our own way, adn at the end of the day we want to see them being successful. Naturally that word successful means different things to each of us. This country (NZ) seems to have a culture of accepting lossess - its part of the kiwicricket atitude of "giving it a go" counting as a win. I'm not happy with some of the losses this year, losing to Perth sucked, the 6 - 1 v Adelaide was depressing. I think we all have a rioght to be annoyed at those kind of results. We've improved in areas but there is room for more improvement for next season. For a start we have at this point 4 players not re signing, Moss, Smeltz, Johnson and Gao. Several are on the unknown list - Dodd being one of them. So a bulk of the squad is likely to stay - this has to be a good thing. We have room to sign a couple of quality strikers and possibly an attacking midfield/playmaker. Get this and continue to develop our defensive style and we actually have the makings of a good/solid team.
I for one and positive about next season. Sure we had some disaster this year, but then every team did, except maybe Adelaide. We were better than Sydney, but they beat some of the big guns, we played way better thyan Perth but lost to them. Newcastle - meh!!!
Next season we have two new clubs coming ins, first and foremost they have to be on our "must win" list along with Sydney and Perth. The rest of the teams we need to fight with and steal points where possible.
Queenslander 3x a year.
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Also anyone who uses the term "smart football" has gotta be, imo, a rugby writer.
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One other thing for next season, can they shut the f**ken music off before, during and after the game? Play Piney's match commentary instead if you have to play something.
ZMFM should be banned from the stadium and why do they have to play it so friggen loud??
We're not deaf, there's not 34,000 people there making sh*t loads of noise. Kill the music, I dont want it everytime there's a gap in the play and we dont need it before the game. And I dont need the loudness when playing the TV comvercials either. And I bet I am not alone.
Proud to have attended the first 175 Consecutive "Home" Wellington Phoenix "A League" Games !!
The Ruf, The Ruf, The Ruf is on Fire!!
The Ruf, The Ruf, The Ruf is on Fire!!
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One other thing for next season, can they shut the f**ken music off before, during and after the game? Play Piney's match commentary instead if you have to play something.
ZMFM should be banned from the stadium and why do they have to play it so friggen loud??
We're not deaf, there's not 34,000 people there making sh*t loads of noise. Kill the music, I dont want it everytime there's a gap in the play and we dont need it before the game. And I dont need the loudness when playing the TV comvercials either. And I bet I am not alone.
Yeah, however i quite like the music when the players are coming out of the tunnel and shaking hands etc, and also i like carnival de paris when we score a goal
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Music before the game is alright if the crowd gets into it
It's cool at the Telstra Dome when they play 7NA
valeo2009-01-26 17:49:06
It's cool at the Telstra Dome when they play 7NA
valeo2009-01-26 17:49:06
a.haak
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