Nix V Mariners Sat 22nd 5pm ft 12 Pubs of Lochhead

You still drunk Steve-O?

If not even your sober comments are quite ridiculous.  We usually start well at home.  The opposition team are often stuck in their own half for the first 15-20 mins.

Just because you were drunk last night doesn't actually excuse any of your ranting posts. 

"Alcohol isn't a problem in itself, the problem is that some people think consuming it gives them the right to be an asshole" - Frank Zappa

Junior, go back a page and look at the times of the 'goals for' - we've scored 2 during these times you claim we are dominating at the start of games.

The stats also suggest that what I am saying about starting to play late on in games is far from 'ridiculous' but actually true.  It's happened several times this season - this week, last week, vs Sydney at home, v Victory away...that's just off the top of my head.

I am 'ranting' because the last win + good entertaining performance seems like a long time ago.

 Just goes to show you can use stats to back up whatever argument it is you put forward at any time.

Sometimes stats are comforting. Piney saying the Phoenix have never lost their last game before christmas.  Plus we have stopped CCM from 7 straight victories against us.

 Key issues from that game for me was

1) Shot decisions
There were a few times when we shot from bad angles when someone was available for a pass or cut back
e.g. Brockie's shot after retrieving a cross, 3 Mariners in front of him, Sanchez available for a cut back and open from my memory

2) Passing going forward
After the Sydney game I can see why we might turn down the risk factor a bit on the passes, but there were a few times when someone received the ball back to goal and just sent it back, when they could've flicked or half turned to open the ball out to someone in space. This would help the pace going forward, Mariners rarely stretched as our build up as slow because of it. But maybe this is because Rogic was doing it all day and it's easier said than done.

 After the second half 'performance' yesterday I think it's about time we renamed the Fever Zone to something more appropriate like the
Mild Chill Zone. All that was missing was the tumbleweed...  

Made all the more amusing by a couple of guys staring at me from the Zone (me a couple of seats over from the zone) as I did my one man fan show.  As I said to them "What? Do I have to be standing,beer bottle in hand, before I can make some noise here?

Somebody buy Steve-O a pony for Christmas please?

Medal for the loudest seated sober fan goes to....

I was quite loud too.  Can I have a season pin?

Mariners stranded at Wgtn Airport (fog innit).

Mariner s flight cancelled Will have to train Xmas and boxing days

Mariner s flight cancelled Will have to train Xmas and boxing days

Watching the replay this morning I was reminded that not only did we put some good pressure on them in the first 20 minutes but 3 or 4 times we nearly opened them up with nice slide passes through the middle or cut backs near the 6 yard box. Unfortunately Brockie blew our best move with an iron-boot touch very early on. Remember thinking at the time that it looked like the usual gameplan had been changed to good effect, and about time.

Which made it all the more disappointing when we reverted to the old cross-and-hope tactics in the 2nd half. This was typified when Sanchez put over a beautiful switch to Leo in acres of space which had their defence scrambling, only for Leo to spoil it by immediately hitting the lamest cross imaginable. He certainly wasn't the only culprit.

Apart from the impressive showing of Boyd and Fenton, the positive thing was that our back four were good. Although there were some narrow squeaks, as you'd expect playing against the highest scoring attack in the league, overall we kept our shape really well, got in the desperate blocks when necessary and cleared our lines well. You can see there is no shortage of determination in the team to turn things round, but the fact is there is simply a lack of real quality in key positions that means we are probably going to struggle to make an impact for the rest of the season.

The game yesterday was in hindsight, not bad,  Paston needs a wake up and some time on the bench, Totori needs more game time, Lockhead is either carrying an injury or past it, as is Leo,   on the positive, the young guys were huge, Sanchez went from zero to hero, Siggy should be given a knighthood Manny was huge, we are close to getting on a roll, I'll give you the tip!!!!11

Happy Angst - as it didin't eventuate in a goal but WTF....

Can someone please have a quiet word with Sigmund to 'Hold The Line' and not venture foward in to the attacking third (unless its a corner or free kick) I would have got up and walked out of the stadium if Rogic had scored that goal midway through the first half, when he was unmarked in space and chipped Paston. As it was Sigmund that lost the ball miles out of position that starting the counter and gave Rogic the space....(where he would not of had any as Sigmund should be marking him in the middle of the park). This is becoming an anoying habit of his that has already cost the Nix with other teams scoring goals with him rushing up the park.

Total football can turn to total crap in an instant

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/8114166/Rival-Mariners-coach-shows-faith-in-Phoenix/