Nix vs Sydney Sunday 9 Dec 4:30 + Tee Dubs vs Otago 1:45

Miron might be looking for a job.

Too right! Ramon hankers for a professional side and could probably find three or four more Dani Sanchez's to make the Phoenix into little Barca. I would love Paul Posa to come back to coach City. He's a great lad and a good coach.

So there you go. You take Ramon Tribulietx and we'll take back Paul Posa from his dentist business and Ricki can go off with the All Whites full time. Worth a go, I'd be happy.  

What's Ernie Merrick doing these days? He was good for Melbourne Victory once upon a time.

Not allowed to mention other coaches. Has to be Herbert.

"Louis Fenton and Tyler Boyd would be right in the mix for starting spots in Adelaide. The pair were introduced in the 54th minute yesterday, in a clear show of dissatisfaction with the tried and true."

WOW a whole mins earlier than the normal sub slot. Ricki must have been fuming!

Ifill was not having a good game, but he didnt appear to have a broken leg, and he would have been a useful guy to have around in the last 20 when we threw it all forward. So at two nil down, cant we take off a more defensive player? Not exactly throwing caution to the wind was it 

Usually 75th minute.

The only fact is that it is NOT a fact Ricki is the only option. How can you possibly state this as fact when the job has never been open? Sometimes change is good, and I believe this is one of those times. It is possible to criticise Ricki and not have a shortlist of possible successors drawn up. Advertise the job and maybe you'd be surprised at the candidates, who knows?

Sorry, but having heard the "there's nobody better" line plenty of times in the past, it does not wash with me.

Oh come on, a title winning coach? How can he compare to the God Ricki? Come back with a serious post please!

I think we're starting to see what mediocrity done badly looks like.  

We see it every time you post something JD :-)

 No other coaches, so don't bother looking/thinking/contemplating/imagining. 

Ricki till I die etc..... 

Advert on Trade Me (Gareth might get a cheap rate)?

EDIT: Double post.

 Should of flicked off Ricki when Terry got the boot.

New owners and coach with a fresh start.

Another thing, while Bertos 'does the job' at right back, I feel he is more creative further up the field. He has the pace and the ball control to take on players.

But we all know what happens to players who dare show any creativity under Ricki's reign. They either get dropped benched or moved to a more limited area of the park.

Its almost like after Louis blinder in the opening game against Sydney, Ricki went up to him after the game and said great game but dont ever play like that again.

Reminds me a little bit of when Kirwin got his ear bitten off for running through the whole Italian pack to score one of the best tries in the history of Rugby

That is some wicked photoshop skillz Patrick!

Hmm, not yet convinced.

Yesterday was an appalling display but on this occasion the players simply have to take the rap for playing well below their best. When simple passes are not going to their intended target or, even worse, straight out, that's got nothing to do with tactics or selection that's just guys playing shite.

Worth noting that had we won yesterday (which we really should have done) we would currently be in 4th place with a 4-3-3 record and all the chat in here would be about how we're now going in the right direction, looking good for the play-offs etc.

Have we really gone from that possibility to Sack Ricki territory in just one game?

And don't give me the "but the whole season's been shit" line because it hasn't. We are currently 6th, equal best start to the season ever, and with just one more win would be 4th. And all this without really firing yet.

Don't stop believin' fellas. We can still do this.

Well I don't believe this is a one game issue - even the games which we've won the style has been awful and we're winning despite the fact that we do many of the most basic things very badly.  And that completely ignores other, terrible performances earlier in the season.

Objectively we are a poor football team.  We're generally bad at the things football teams are good at, like passing the ball to each other, defending and creating chances.  We might win a few matches here and there but at the most basic level we're not good enough.  I don't believe that a team which lacks so many basic qualities can win the A-League and 5th or 6th isn't good enough.  We did better than that last year with what we were told was half a team, no money and no preparation.  

That's not an achievement and there has to be some indication that we can challenge to actually validate the approach being taken by the club and management.  Without that, the whole project looks listless and like it's going absolutely nowhere.

Who has excused this weekend's terrible performance?

I think everyone will be wondering what can be done to avoid that being repeated. 

I just want to see lots of Kiwis, somewhat sexy football, go-ahead goals, lots of wins, 10,000+ crowds, on beautiful Wellington sunny days, versing Auzis.  Surely, that's not too much to ask for is it?????

Bertos got worse and worse at right mid. He is doing much better at right back this season. I'm sorry but Fenton had a blinder and ricki kept with him as a result, you can hardly blame ricki for his drop in form since then. 

I think Leo has been getting forward on overlapping runs down the wings on many occasions. Perhaps not as much as we might like to see, but I think bar one game (v WSW I think) he has been more effective at this than Lochhead.

When Totori comes on and plays on the right he is more effective than Leo for wing runs so Leo sits back more... and seems reluctant to pass to Totori.

I think Leo has been getting forward on overlapping runs down the wings on many occasions. Perhaps not as much as we might like to see, but I think bar one game (v WSW I think) he has been more effective at this than Lochhead.

When Totori comes on and plays on the right he is more effective than Leo for wing runs so Leo sits back more... and seems reluctant to pass to Totori.

Agree totally with this (including the Leo not trusting Totori part). From what I've watched Leo's been quite good at getting forward.

I always had a soft spot for Miron. No idea why. He kept things entertaining I guess. Strangely though I hate him as a commentator.

Not suggesting we get him. Just saying...

Yeah I agree with J82. Not sure what games you've been watching JD, but he has been getting forward quite a bit, and actually looking better when he does so now. Less pressure on him from RB I guess?