Ok so of the two teams on display today we had one team that was cobbled together at the beginning of the season from a bunch of rejects from other clubs and another that has been built up over 6 years under the same management. One team was disciplined, worked as unit, defended solidly and moved the ball well through midfield, the other looked disjointed, fell away under pressure and made serious defensive errors.
We can bag the players all we like and some probably deserved it but the bottom line is that at the beginning of the season it was commonly agreed we had the best squad ever. We certainly would have not swapped any players with any of the cast-offs recruited by WSW(apart from Ono, who actually came on after the game was won). Sure we have missed an in form Ifill but we shouldn't have to rely on him to win every game for us.
The reality is the A-League has moved on in quality....and quite dramatically, especially this season. Teams have recruited better more skillful players and coaches have upped their game as well. As it has turned out our preseason recruitment was not good enough. Totori and Smith are just not good enough to warrant import slots. We have retained a few players who do not have the skill to now compete at the higher levels required(Lia and possibly Siggy)) In addition our coach has failed to lift his standard to the new level. Tactically we have been exposed in several games this year. IMO Ricki does not have what is required to get the team to perform at the level required. Put simply we are getting outcoached every week. Twice in a row now the opposition have come out after the half time talk and completely countered our game..and we have had no response.
We have probably got two options now. One is to get Muscat back...pack the midfield, grind it out, revert to longball and hope Ifill comes back and can turn games for us....which is a game Ricki understands or Two, keep trying to play the current game with the poor resources(mainly midfield) we have and hope it comes right.
In a nutshell well said. Other teams have developed, the Phoenix have not. Totori and Smith are not worthy of import slots at this level. RH has made too many of these mediocre signings.
The only thing left for this season is to give serious game time to Boxall, Hogg and Lindsay to augment the development of Fenton and Boyd. That at least will be a positive for the future of the franchise.
Have a look at how Paul Marshall has Waitakere playing in the ASBP. He could be a good choice for a new home-grown coach for the Phoenix next season. He has a good attacking mindset.