nix v bling (game thread)

Obscuring the view of that poor little grey-haired pensioner - tigers, you bloody HOOLIGAN!

what a load of bollocks. We need to give 4-4-2 a run out, just get a conventional side out, one defensive central mid one attacking central mid (Johnson Felipe, Brown Felipe, Johnson Ferrante, Brown Ferrante, whatever) because I don't like this 3-5-2 sh*t. Its not working for us I'd have to say.

Give Costa a game!

We don't have a right back so 4-4-2 is out of the question.3-5-2 is the best formation for what we have at the moment. It's not ideal but nothing was ever going to be ideal this season.
valeo2008-01-05 01:17:01

I've just watched it on the replay, and we were better than I thought we were when I walked out post match. 

The reffing was spectacularly average, but after Ben Williams displays reffing us this season I was not remotely surprised. Hard News2008-01-05 09:55:13

Well now we know what we need to buy come the end of the season!

after Toffeeman's post i was on my best behaviour, i can't remember swearing once
(20 times perhaps)

and I'm glad you noticed the pre-match polishing HN

What, does Christie have broken legs or something? I get it, he's not a RB, and he's not especially well suited to the position. But apart from a certain incident at a home CCM game, I can't remember him being so terribly bad that it makes the formation *impossible*. Certainly the best option we had (or the better of the bad options, depending on your perspective).

Just as an aside, who was *supposed* to be our Right Back at the start of the season? Anyone? According to the website it's supposed to be Dodd, but I guess we sent one of our centre backs back to Brazil. Where's O'Dor anyway?

As to whether its a better option than 3-5-2, I dunno, probably not, but I'm no football scientist.

In some ways, that game was like the season had gone full circle - ticketing nightmares at RoF and conceding late goals ( not that that happened in the first home game :) ) and, most importantly, some great support from a keen crowd. Which is nice.

Just saw the goals on youtube; very nicely taken both of them. Talay's ball and Brosque's  control was beautiful on the second. So not the defensive disasters I had been expecting to see when reading the game thread yesterday.

Is the new screen at the stadium good?

A game of two halves, first half was the Phoenix, second half was the bling.  The bling took two chances, we took none.  It happens, it's football.

The new screen looks much the same as the one at the other end, but I was sorta under it so not the best judge... however it still had scaffolding in front of it anyway

Big Ass liked the game for us with his early crosses into the first defender. Saying that we were obviously flat round the whole field - and they had class where is counted. Not afraid to play direct, and Popo at the back was very sound.

i reckon they should have taken elrich off earlier and put Costa on was a crap game to watch

Except Costa wasn't even on the bench

The lack of fight in the team was the most disappointing thing, and so little service to the front two. Once Sydney scored the first, we were never in danger of equalising TBH.

i dont take notice who's on the bench well is till reckon elrich sucks

Eh? You having a laugh??? 

Not at all. I expected more, considering the situation. I appreciate Sydney are a good side who furstrated our guys a lot throughout, but....

I was disappointed at how often we played long balls that got picked off almost every time. Our midfield had a collective off day. Guys like Johnson and Felipe didn't have good games. Lochhead didn't see a lot of the ball. Ferrante was good, but again didn't see too much ball, and Elrich was Elrich. I think the front two worked hard but didn't see enough of the ball. Old and Dodd hoofed the ball upfield quite a lot. That's unusual for the Phoenix. I just like to see them get a foot on the ball and start knocking it around more than they did this week. We all know they look good when they start moving the ball around. Just ask Aurelio Vidmar, he'll agree.

best moment after the game went to take the kids back to holiday inn and have a few drinks at the bar, the sydney boys joined us so they could watch the footy and even bought us nix supporters a round. I reminded terry mcflynn twice his goal was lucky tony popovic said it came off his arse, a good bunch of guys they had young kids coming up all nite for autographs and were more than willing to sign even though they were trying to relax watch a game an have a beer

Were there three Sydney guys? Like a dad and two sons or something? If so, did their flag get confiscated for having flagpoles >1 metre in length?

I saw them when I was waiting for the gates to open and joked that they couldn't take it in, but I think the security guard heard.

no these were the players staying at the holiday inn

Who is the linesman with the bald head that worked the line where the subs sit?

The choice of referee left me dismayed, based on what we have seen this season...

Just like the players get plenty of stick when they are crap,so should the match officials,and he has been bloody terrible making or missing completely some pretty obvious decisions. 

Thanks Liverpool Fan, you have not only made my day with that information but that of several others after I told them your information. I am not alone. Thanks ballane, you saw that too. My eyes don't need testing after all.

 Fans before the game at our favourite watering hole. Sanchez what ya number?

Lonegunmen2008-01-07 11:51:04

And that was just the queue trying to buy a pre-match beer! Oi Oi Edgecumbe2008-01-07 11:50:03

lol whos the guy waving?

Went to the B/B for the first time last weekend, that place sure packs out! awesopme atmosphere to start the game off too!

Actually, thanks to the BB... the place wasn't re-opened post Xmas until today but they opened just for us from 16:00.

Cheers lads (hope you made a few $$ )

oh I didn't realise that. Yeh thanks BB. I'll stop wondering why the front bar wasn't open now.

ok i just added photos of Sydney game (from James Deans pc in Sydney). I think a few other people had added some too