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

Last season, he was running forward with the ball a lot, and then passing the ball backwards to either Manny or Lochy in defence. This season, there isn't the option for the backpass, so he is forced to make an attacking pass, which is much more effective.

Groan. You can say the same about a back pass, so what's your point? 

I just don't understand the logic of importing strikers known for their skill on the deck and then pumping high balls at them all day long.  Our only tactic seems to be to knock it around at the back until the opposition defence is well settled and everyone marked, then knock it wide for a high cross to the far post.

we dont seem to have any attacking structure... greeny needs to sort it out.

Maybe we cant have a front three of ifill, brockie & stein??
They all seem like wingger converts which is fine. But think they would all play better with a second striker next to them. 

But then you need solid defensive wide men so all 3 cant play in a 442 for me. That doesnt even look at how poor we have been with only 2 central midfielders. Or how we can fit Sanchez in

Yes, well done. Thanks for the football 101 lesson. However there has to be a balance, and as Patrick was pointing out, Leo didn't have that balance. Passing the ball between your keeper and winger for 90 straight minutes won't win you any games either. 

So Miron "rent a quote" is looking for a job.

At first I thought he would be a dumb choice  to replace Rickie next year but maybe it isn't so dumb after all. First of all as a coach he is not bad at all. Before Fat Owner started interfering Miron had the GC playing well. They played a very attractive brand of football and had quite a bit of success.....finishing 3rd from memory in their first year????. I certainly would not mind watching the Nix play a Miron brand of football.....better than the durge we get served up at the moment. Miron and his assistant Mulvey also did a great job bringing through youngsters too. The current Nix team has a stack of guys over 30 who will need to be replaced soon and the club has signalled a youth development policy....Miron could be just the man!

Off the pitch Miron is also "colourful"...the media love him and he is always good for a quote. You have to admit that love him or not Terry always had the Nix on the front pages(often for the wrong reason). Tony P was also a good media man. The current lot are really bland in comparison....Dome's recent statement insulting local fans by threatening to take games away was a PR disaster. The club needs someone that constantly keeps us in the media's eye. OK being colourful is probably way down the list of requirements for a coach but the Nix are in competetion for fans.....having a lively figurehead for the club would be a bonus! NZ sport is full of really bland monosyllabic people.....Miron ain't bland.

I am really hanging out for a fresh change next season. I want someone to come in with fresh new ideas and playing style...I would really hate it if Rickie becomes a powerful director of football and the club appoints a stooge junior coach with Rickie as his mentor playing the same style as we are playing now. 

 Tuesday 10.32am    still not happy....

Yeah I very much want to see a new coach with completely fresh eyes willing to give everyone a chance.

think we are probably a season or 2 too early for a huge clearout of ageing players.. but I wonder if Ange had showed up, which players would still be playing? And which would "voluntarily retire"?

I've submitted my football manager saved game to domey last week. 

Our midfield is too static most of the time, so often the back four has no real options other passing the ball sideways. When Manny & Lia drop back to get the pass, they are normally facing towards our own goal so limits what they can do with the ball. At the end of the game, Dura was making the runs out of defence it gave us momentum but dunno if that would leave us short at the back if he did it more often.

[Edit: Fixed spelling mistakes again]

What you really need to do with the midfielders, is every time they come out to pick up the ball - you give it to them. Regardless if they are going to pass it back. The only time you dont pass is if the pass will be intercepted. The midfielder should easily be able to one touch pass it back to the defender. If you have at least 2 mids and your fullbacks doing this, its guaranteed to pull markers all over the place.One midfielder will get closed down, but the other will have space to turn and look up. 

The issue is a 2 way thing, the defenders need to be confident to make the forward pass, and the mids need to be patient and constantly work hard

wow

nerd

That is fantastic. I love me some good stats.

He blinded me with science.

Love the graph. Well done. Sorry I just want to win this league. OK. Have no interest in how many years in a row we make the Top 6. 

so the best is yet to come...as always.  Well thats a relief.

I also have a chart on 3 game rolling ppg averages (trying to show form over a stretch of games), but that is more volatile and harder to read when comparing all seasons. 

With all this talk regarding crowd numbers I'm tempted to plot crowd numbers on a few charts, one comparing crowds each season and then a chart for each season with crowds, ppg, and 3 game rolling average to see how much attendance correlates to season form and recent form.

Unfortunately SiNZ does not appear to be doing his football spreadsheets. They were always great and provided some great insight into strength of teams and analysing form.

I love me some graphs.

Good to have some visual input into this seasonal debate.

 The job would have been mine, no contest, if my PS2 hadn't died a while back. FIFA12 legend.  I got the most out of Mulligan.

so we need a big improvement in ppg in the second half of the year just to match last year and right now we can barely pass the ball to each other.  Something or someone has to make that happen

loved the Thomas Dolby quote!

briliant!

You should have, I would have bowed to such a stat. Am very surprised by that.

Neither do our midfield

It's a problem Greenie.  But we are where we are and need to make some changes.

What I would do now is tweak the side like this:

- get Sanchez into the side in an advanced midfield position.

- I'd keep Leo at RB but with licence to get forward a lot more.  I'd keep our gameplan of attacking from wide out on the right but I'd look to overload that side to make things a bit more varied.

- I'd give Ifill a freer role nominally on the left coming inside.  This would be the same role for Fenton - either way I'd be splitting roughly 60 mins/30mins depending on who starts and who comes off the bench.  Ifill has to get into goal scoring positions and I would be encouraging both him and Fenton to start making runs beyond the strikers.  I'd pretty much free Ifill up from defending - he'd be the link and has to be the guy we're looking to play to quickly out of defence.  Same with Fenton.  Both would be instructed to sweep in behind the front two from the left and play the  ball out right quickly when we attack, where Brockie and Leo overlapping would try and overload the opposition fullback

- I'd look for another midfielder in the transfer window to play along side Muscat at the base of our midfield.  The emphasis would be on someone who could pass the ball both short and long.  I know this is a stretch but this is really important.  Use the money freed up after Pavlovic has gone if necessary - I think we're ok up front.  If all else fails I would consider Clapham, it's a bit desperate but desperate time and all that

- Muscat's job would be solely to defend and with Leo bombing on he may have to cover wide right from time to time - that's fine he's comfortable out there.  Crucially, I'd take the responsibility for "playmaking" off him.  His passing isn't good enough - I'd instruct him to receive the ball and look to move it on more quickly to Ifill, Steyn and Sanchez and Mr X in midfield, all of whom should be looking to receive the ball quickly and then get it wide and try and isolate fullbacks

- I'd be looking for a way to get Alex Smith off the books.  He's just not good enough as an import to hold down a place in the squad.  There must be a kiwi or an aussie who can do what he does (I'm not even sure what that is by the way).  I think he's really limited player

Overall, we'd still be direct but direct in a little bit more thoughtful way.  We're not Barcelona so it's not going to be about lots of possession deep.  Lots of vertical passes but all done a bit quicker and with less balls in the air and when we break break quickly and try and isolate the fullbacks.