Phoenix vs Malben - Match Thread

Coveny slips down the right sqaures it to no-one. Smeltz late on arrival.

The pitch is really sodden in the middle. ball not travelling to the man.

Another dumb foul.....

Saw that - yellow to Durante then eh... oh well.

Johnson and Ferrante have played well in the middle tonight. Locked up it way better than last week. Our only weakness is getting done down the flanks. Hearfield still playing well. MOM so far.

I'm getting a message saying I am spamming. So much for trying to keep you guys updated.

Kwasnik rifles in a volley from 16 out but hits a Melbourne defender to go out for a throw.

So you turned up late, almost like an afterthought?
I was the first "1" on the long list of fans who can't make the games because we're in the middle of nowhere...
[/QUOTE]

Ferrante yellow for a dumb foul. Lunges in and gets the Melbourne player in the ankle. Why are we lunging in in the wet???? And it was in their half near their 18???? Why there????

so you dont get piked up for spamming just edit your posts and add more info instead of making new ones

We are really dominating possession now and we are not using it that well. Melbourne keeper hasn't had to do much this half....

Its looking like the last 10 of last weeks game except this time we have possession and Melbourne are playing shut out. 84 gone

Kwasnik is my new Ahmed. Im starting to dislike him with a passion

Fair cop - good man. Though you surely didn't check the Phoenix schedule before you booked the wedding then did you...

Meanwhile, I'm watching USA play Spain the bball finals, and this guy Raul on the Spanish side looks just like ex-Real Madrid Raul...

Fabiano been watching too much olympics

Fabiano 3y off the goal line tracking in 1-1 v Durante. Sure that ref was going to give a penalty. commentators seem to think he dived. Hard to dive when there is contact....

I think we got lucky on that one.

Melbourne has a free header at the back post from a corner and miss.....

This really is painful to watch

Agreed, its terrible. We are missing someone besides Johnson to be a playmaker.

Someone that starts with F and is Brazilian, springs to mind

Johnson quick thinking takes a quick free kick, Smeltz misses the header.... 88 gone.

Kwasnik is invisible. Its not that he is playing badly or anything, its just that he is not involved....

Celeski off for Pondeljak (Le Mons he he he )

Ive seen him a couple of times recently.

1. he crossed it and it didnt get past the first man.

2. Lochhead was taking a throwing, Daniel and smeltz trying  to create options, Kwasnik standing there, doing nothing.

Thank god thats over.

man im incensed by watching this game, on the one hand we are not playing very well, on the other the refereeing is HORRIBLE. how the heck can we play when he has no control on the game whatsoever. every time we get a break, beat a player and get brought down nothing happens, just a freekick, they must have had 100 warnings by now so WHERE ARE THE MELBOURNE CARDS. why did fabiano not get carded for diving TWICE. its absolutely pathetic, the a-league will go nowhere like this. it happens week in and week out. cards are there for a reason.

beyond that, we need to play better in the wet, we need daniel on the whole game, and we need gao back, hearfield is playing awesome. get mulli going, cause muscat cant cut it at rb

Another year, more absolutely terrible defending. Durante, McKain, Muscat and Moss were all pathetic tonight.

Absolutely gutting. If we play like that this year we will come last - no doubt. The midfield picked up this week and looked a lot better but it doesn't matter if your defence is that leaky. 4 goals at home is unforgivable.

McKain blatently dived for the penalty and karma bit us on the ass when he gave them the goal back.
valeo2008-08-24 18:58:14

All over. Consigned to a watery grave.

All over 2-4. Poor performance. Moss- poor. Manny Muscat - awful. Jon McKain - if he's injured, don't pick him, let him recover. Kwasnik - was he even on the pitch?

Well didn't watch much of it as my mum wanted to watch the Warriors but what i did see looked a very scrappy game mainly due to the conditions which looked atrocious. Just seemed like one of those games you put away immediately and move on to next week.

This one is done

We played better football this week with more control but again we didn't use it effectively in front of goal. We lost this game due to some poor defending down the flanks what I would term concentration lapses from some players (McKain). Moss probably had his worst game in Phoenix colours. Lockhead was still in England, Muscat out of his depth again. Johnson worked really hard and him and Ferrante locked up the middle which we controlled. Troy Hearfield was player of the match and didn't put a foot wrong I think. Glad he is on our books, will keep out Bertos next week. Daniel played ok and Smeltz was his usual self. Kwasnik was invisible, no work rate and failed to ascert himself from the attacking midfield position (isn't he a striker??) We played with discipline lapses and gave away many dumb free kicks in dumb places including our penalty.The referee was not horrible as stated more just lenient on their shirt pulling. He missed no fouls and didn't affect the result.

We just didn't deserve it.

Agent 472008-08-24 19:05:11

Season.

maybe an opening for paston i doubt it thow but who knows

Kwasnik was crap - two chances he fluffed because he can't pass for sh*t. Definately not a starter.

Moss with the terrible attempted save for the first goal screwed us. We were playing well until that point. Muscat was equally to blame though - he's so lightweight.

I can't believe we got ripped up down the flanks against Melbourne of all teams That is just unforgivable. They don't have any f**king wide players!

Some serious questions will have to be asked of Herbert if we keep playing like this. If we come last again this season i'd say he will be goneburger.
valeo2008-08-24 19:03:37

Was happy with the passing this week but absolutely gutted with the defence. Moss was absolute rubbish and Durante and McKain somehow managed to provide one of our worst ever central defensive pairings. No idea why we subbed Daniel off, he was having a decent match. If anybody was going to go it should have been Kwasnik.

I think Moss will hold his spot purely that he shouldn't (touch wood) be rubbish 2 in a row and plus conditions and weather weren't ideal. Still you can't reward performances like that with a start

Thought it was odd Daniel was subbed off in favour of Coveny - unless he picked up a knock. To me he was our best player. Just about every attacking move went through him in the first half.

 

Also, is anyone else getting sick of all the talk in the press about stepping up our game before the match and players being fired up etc. and us playing sh*te when we get on the park?
valeo2008-08-24 19:11:08

pretty much we need mulligan going next week, without fail, muscat seems to have lost whatever he had in pre-season, the midfield was good, johnson was much better in the Dm role this week, so him and ferrante stay, next week, change muscat for mulligan and get gao on in there and bench kwassie, see if we can't get him to get his workrate up.. o and, christie instead of costa.. sigh

Moss will keep his place, one bad game doesn't make him a bad 'keeper. Interesting that the young lad making his debut for Victory was able to get throught the same conditions unscathed. But Daniel has got to stay on the pitch longer and Kwasnik should move to the bench in favour of Gao (if fit).

Oh I agree with you Jam but I was quite verciferous about getting Paston out after his 1 howler last year so I have to at least be consistent .

He isn't a bad keeper in fact quite the opposite but if you drop Dodd after last week for one bad game, don't you have to do the same with Moss perhaps (I wouldn't, just trying to see both sides)

I agree with yours and Musos call for Mulligan for Muscat and Gao for Kwasnik. Bring Daniel central and leave Gao out left o get Daniel more involved..

Where does Bertos fit into it? Hearfield had a good game so I wouldn't drop him, Gao for Kwasnik is definite.

Bertos hasnt impressed me in either of our 2 season games. Why should that warrant a start? Especially as Troy had a great game

You gotta take your chances when given them. Muscat did against Melbourne and got a contract, Hearfield did today so its unlucky Bertos ride the pine next week.