Pre-Season 2012/2013

Yip, but here it is saying they will make their senior debuts for the nix. 

So the india games have more meaning than the friendly against the Jets - otherwise they would have announced it in that game.

As I said earlier, because we are playing in a cup competition, maybe we have to register the players officially as nix players or something. And does anyone know if they will be treated as friendlies? Ie do we have the option to make more than 3 subs?

Fitzy - did you realise that mass debate is a homophone with masturbate?

Problem is that without proper oversight (FFA appointed refs etc) you could get guys being suspended for anything.  Say you go and play pre-season in the islands and get one of those random decisions, you then have a tribunal in aussie trying to decide a ban for an incident that they have no footage of made by refs not under their control.

Or the opposite, a terrible challenge in pre-season you'll often get a yellow and a telling off and not a red because it's a friendly.  Should that player not also get banned?

It's very difficulty to be consistent.

Discipline is an issue - we had 5 reds last year, most equal with Victory who were pretty thuggish.  Perth next with 4.  All other teams had 1 or 0.  It will catch up with us over time.

The fact that they are not going to miss any A games is good for us but really is a joke. I was very disappointed but not surprised that Manny and Siggy were involved. I doubt it will be their last red this season.

That one lay dormant for a whole 12 hours, surprised you didn't mention in earlier!

I wonder if the FFA tribunal took this video into account when considering the ban for Ben Sigmund. It shows evidence of previous altercations with players. Damning stuff if you as me...

Agreed. I think it's been mentioned somewhere that A-League teams must play a certain number of friendlies against A-League opposition. The FFA should be able punish players for misconduct in these (and for the practical reasons above, only these). I don't understand how the Indian games can be 'sanctioned' by the FFA. The bans from the Newcastle-Nix game should only apply to any other pre-season games against A-League clubs, & into the A-League season if necessary, otherwise the process loses credibility.

The other option, given these are 'only' warm-up games is to officially warn the players that this incident will be taken into account should they face discplinary action during this season.

http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/wellingtonphoenix/news-display/Herbert%20Wants%20Strong%20Showing/48683

Good to hear the youngies are getting more time

For me that is saying that Fenton & Boyd are the ones who are gonna be signed

After thinking about it, maybe Herbert means that Boyd and Fenton were going to be starting anyway? But the other two are also worth playing, just weren't going to be starting if we had these suspensions.

A CB pairing of Boxall and Lochhead is... interesting

So is this how we are lining up ??

                   Paston/Moss

    Bertos    Boxall   Locky    Rowe

                      Lindsay

    Brockie        Smith        Fenton

               Iffy           Boyd

Wow we look light on defence. 

I think Fenton and Boyd are the front runners to be signed and that Herbert was likely to start them both anyway. 

We dont know if Totori or Brockie will be rested for this game- but essentially thats how we are going to line up. I'd personally think Totori is the one guy who could handle playing all these games in the heat being from the Solomons, with Brockie being 2nd after his stinit in Townsville

Ifill's Barbados experience I would have thought puts him in better stead than a few appearances 3 years ago for Fury.

When did he last play there?? And its not like he ever lived in the humidity like Brockie would have. He's lived in England his whole life so pretty much the opposite. 

I guess all the AWs also played in Honiara recently so that would tip it in their favour so Im still gonna say Brockie

Lol, born and raised in England

I think we actually only got 4 with Nick Ward's red card rescinded after the game. In that same game Brown got a second yellow for time wasting that was pretty ridiculous. Of the other 3 reds, Pavlovic's tackle against Perth is the one that stands out for me as really poor discipline. 

There is not much in it for overall cards last season: http://www.ultimatealeague.com/records.php?type=cb&season=2011-12

Though we have normally been closer to the worst discipline record each season than the best and we normally have a few suspensions each year.

Indeed perhaps we will see a few less yellows this season with Lia out of the 1st 11 (it seems) and Brown gone. 

Then again a nervous and out-of-position Bertos might give a way a few.

This is apparently the line up according to Emma Stoney.

Glen Moss; Leo Bertos, Tony Lochhead, Luke Rowe; Cameron Lindsay, Louie Fenton, Alex Smith, Benjamin Totori; Paul Ifill, Tyler Boyd.

I think Smith should be encouraged to hang back a bit and play side by side given Lindsays inexperience and the fact both CBs are new. I am guessing Totori will be on the left.

So we're only allowed to play with 10 due to the suspensions?

Is the one missing Boxall or Brockie?

For what its worth, it was more tactical. We were up 1-0 with about 3mins of added time left, Perth were on the counter in numbers and were pushing everyone forward, Pav slowed it down. Sometimes you need to draw the foul.

Both CBs?

Then I counted  

Hmm. It was copy and paste from http://www.sportal.co.nz/football-news-display/experimental-lineup-for-phoenix-194258 

I assumed Boxall is playing as that has been stated elsewhere and didn't even realise he wasn't mentioned.

Who will be captain?  I'm picking Ifill or Moss

I'm picking Boxall or Ifill.

And Luciano Trani has left Adelaide.

Lochhead, Bertos or Paston are also all worthy 

Paston didn't make the trip to India, he returned home after the Newcastle game for the birth of his 3rd child

So I work out that KO is 8:30 NZT tomorrow night.

And are we playing three or four games in India?  Indian websites I've seen have it as a three team tournament, with a final between the top two (which if true, could mean only two matches should we not make the final).  But that doesn't quite tally with sporadic reports about upcoming Phoenix matches, although ties in with first game in 24th at Impahl (not Guwahati - too dangerous)

Apologies if it's all clear earlier in the thread, but I'm a tad confused.

Definitive fixture list / link somewhere?

Edit:

OK, Found this on United Sikkim's (Facebook) Website.  Might explain the confusion (although may mean only 3 games if we don't make the final).

.....

North East Lajong Super Series: 
Tour Schedule:
24th August - United Sikkim vs Wellington phoenix, Khuman Lampak Stadium - Imphal
26th August - Shillong Lajong vs Wellington phoenix, Khuman Lampak Stadium - Imphal
29th August- Exhibition Match between Shillong Premier League Champions 2012 against Wellington Phoenix FC, JN Stadium, Shillong 
30th August - United Sikkim vs Shillong Lajong, Nehru Stadium, Shillong
1st September - Finals - Finalist A vs Finalist , Nehru Stadium Shillong

Still have Manawatu and Wanderers as two more friendly games that can absorb whats left of the ban should we not make it to the tournament final.

http://garethsworld.com/welcome-to-india-wellington-phoenix-tour-of-india-2012#.UDarPgQcqwY.twitter

On Gareth's blog page there is an ad to help eradicate mice from the Antipodes Islands.

Well Gareth and DoC, have you tried rounding all the unwanted and stray cats in NZ and dropping them off on the islands?

After that they can round up all the stray dogs and put them on the island to get rid of the unwanted cats...

Anyone found any links for tonights game

TV......Radio....Bengali.....Assamese...Hindi...anything ??

I personally dont think the game will go ahead based on Gareths words

There's no way the Phoenix will let the game go ahead on a pitch that is dangerous for the players.

Seems like a right shemozzle 

Seriously wonder what the hell we are doing there

Couldnt they play Green Gully or Waitakere? Why go all the way to India ? Wouldnt it be better to spend the money that is involved on a new striker ??