Nix v New bling- match thread

A few were looking at this game to see how we'd go v the best(?) and wondering if they'd cut us up.

I couldn't see the game but it looks like that's put to rest - no one has made us look the second best this year except Sydney and it seems like that was an "off" game.  Definately a step up from previous seasons.

Ten shots, ten shots off target.  Not much else to fix.  (Versus five shots frm GCU). 

Would still like to see Ifill work hard to stay central and support and link better with Greeny, but he's real prone to getting wide as a few others have said happened in this game again?    He's not going to stay central literally but a bit more eh?  Let Bertos, Daniel and co do more of the work and use the subs to give them a break when we are 2+ up lol.

Interesting tho' the stats show possession 41-59 against us.  Sounds like that's not how it seemed?

Gotta run.

P.S forgot to say we'd be better in 442 and sack Ricki
mjp22009-10-03 13:55:12

has no one else except valeo noticed greenacre's poor 1st touch?

also, if chen hasn't played yet you'd have to assume he's pants.

I think that is pretty safe to assume

Is this our longest unbeaten streak?

To be fair to Greenacre a lot of the ball he receives is back to goal and often defenders can get away with pushing heavily in this situation.

true.

we need to have practice on keeping our headers down

Was really pleased with last night's game. Nobody had a bad game (though Caceras seemed to make some mistakes when he came on).

I would have said only 2 GCU players had any good moments - Traore and Osman.
Everyone else we kept very quiet.
Porter was looking dangerous but he couldn't time his runs.
Bevan2009-10-03 16:55:57

and shots...though Leo's free kick was almost promising again...

Finishing is the problem, but it will happen. The huge positives are the fact that our defense and Midfield are truly dominating the oppositions attack, and we have done it against all the best sides (maybe excluding Sydney..?). Keep it up and when we do score, we will be winning

yep - but a few around here will insist it's just we've been unlucky and it'll come right.  i'd like to agree, but not entirely convinced on that. 

being my usual anal(ytical) self and allowing it's just some thoughts about it all below:

they are playing well but
1)  Ifill is a wide midfielder (i spent a while on the English club supporters boards and that's how they see him - but can play more central if required) i've seen enough to convince me at least that's how he prefers to play
2) Bertos is best with a bit of space wider, most seem to agree
3) ditto Daniel, I guess
4) Caceres?

Ergo, we have no natural strong distributing central midfielder a la Culina (Ifill has the skills to do it but it's not his natural game and our formation encourages him to roam away from the central role).  And no second striker given our formation (except maybe for this game?). 

So yep, we end up holding up the attack looking for some-one to arrive from midfield into the box. Greeny is too small and singular a target and without the natural attacking middie our play tends to lack the direct option through the centre to greeny and playing off him.  Seems like a few are saying that now.

Will be interesting how Ricki looks to manage it from here.  Seems to me he's trying to get the best from a squad which hasn't quite jelled personel wise - maybe they will with more time and trying a few more things, or maybe we just have too many natural wider attacking mids.  Interesting he went to 442 this game and sorry i didn't see it - and that it sounds like it didn't allow more direct play.  but again if there is no central mid delivering ....

I'm keen to catch a replay!

If Ricki and the boys get this sorted, anything could happen, apart from this prob no-ones looked better.

Finishing isn't the problem. Creating clear cut chances is the problem. What clear cut chances did we actually have in that game other than capitalising on poor defending from set pieces?  sissoko_no1fan2009-10-03 18:49:29

Wins come with a solid defence. IMO our defence is one of the best if not the best in the league. We are dominating games but just lacking that final ball.

It's a little unnerving that we seem to be becoming CCM 2.0 though

That would be because the rubbish talked about CCM by the blinkered imbeciles is the same crap they say about us.

Not too Dispondant with 1 Win, 6 Draws, 2 Losses!

good call, having seen  him at training a few times, he seems good so what you say probably makes sense.

I mean no point putting him on the park if he doesnt understand what you want him to do.

seems a happy chap tho!!!

I'm real happy with the way this team is developing....weused to be cannon fodder away in Oz. Now we got there and demand respect. gC had all their big guns and our great defense kept them quiet. You have to also admire the never say die attittude of the whole team. Everyone works their butts off.

(probably mentioned earlier but..)

true, and yr mailbox is full DF

Ha! She actually enjoyed it. Probably just a bit embarrassed by my behaviour. I can't just sit quietly and watch as you well know.

Actually a lot more than 20 (more like 100+)- quite a few casuals (and about three teams on tour) obviously just popped along. Good on them, really appreciated having them along, even it meant that our support was a bit unco. Could have done with a bit more fever.

Good stadium though (design-wise), although its location and compulsary public transport policy is a major downer. Big factor in why the crowds are low. Slick operation yes, but the joy of a 10 minute dash from the pub and a spontaneous scoop afterwards go out the window. As quoted on another thread ... location, location, location!

Im with ya there. I think Siggy the sea monster is excellent. he shuts the other side down so often that it must be driving them mad. Give the man a raise!

I think we played, especially in the first half, better than we've ever played! Dominant and good fast paced football. Just once again, finishing... shooting and heading is what we need to focus on. Too many times our strikers will try and get a perfect shooting position instead of passing to to someone in space or just hacking it in...

Com' on Nix!