R11 vs Sydney FC | Sunday 21st Dec | 7:00pm | SS2

Tom Doyle running at LB in 11 v 11 game at Phoenix training #SFCvWEL

— Jason Pine (@pineyzb) December 18, 2014

Jeez... Mossy, Siggy and Dura had better be totally focused and commanding

I don't think Doyle is as bad as people make out, think he is a pretty good defence option with Manny out rather than moving Boxall out of position

Doyle generally looks solid, but has cost several goals this year through basic errors. Without having seen more of him, it's hard to say whether it's just nerves and getting used to pro football or if he's actually prone to brain fades. Hopefully it's the first option, but either way I'm happy for him to be given another shot.

I think Burns would make a pretty good left back

Manny has generally been the more defensive of the FBs, maybe Doyle would be more suited to a less attacking role and let Fenton get further forward.

We all have to start somewhere.

Didn't take long for the scapegoat hat to pass to Doyle... Amazing after the FU tour how much he was 'the answer' and now is not fit to lace up Ernies slippers.

He is a young player and like Fenton and Boyd in their first seasons, he is going to make mistakes. Now Fenton is an HAL player of reasonable quality and more than a few think Boyd is 'the answer'. Give the lad time to develop. He'll make mistakes and learn and providing that are not game costing mistakes and he does learn, then I am ok with that.

LBs don't fall out of thin air and we have already run through Lochhead, Hogg, Rowe..... (Hogg was the answer too) You can't run everyone out of town and at some point, we have to let someone settle into the role.

that said, if he starts he has to up his game

True, but that would imply that Doyle is overconfident, cocky, arrogant and not aware of the mistakes he is making. Do you think that's going to be allowed to happen in this team? I'm sure he doesn't lace up and go 'I've got this in the bag' every game.

This is what I was trying to get at with my post above. He needs more chances to get confidence and experience at this level. He generally looks comfortable, and has done good work but those occasional errors are a concern which will hopefully disappear as he gets more games under his belt.

sorry missed the position Piney was playing in the 11 v 11?

doubting thomas..give the bloke a chance!

double "this"

So its settled then?

Mossman
Fenton, Cigs, Dura, Doyley
Roly, Rodney, Albert
Weemac, Burns, Krishna

+ Rufer, Italiano, Ridenton, Boyd, JB/JBS

Some give Brockie's dad a shout, get him out of the pub ha ha!

I should probably add Caira to the list of LBs run out of town. Yeah you can slot Manny, JBS and Boxall in there but are they REAL options or guys filling a hole. We could probably slot Riera in there too if we wanted guys that just do a job. We need to have someone thats going to be a real option and at the moment, this kid is it until he shows over a decent period that it s definitely not him. At the moment, I think he has played 5 games plus preseason? Preseason everyone said lock him up....

Sorry; i've said what you've been saying from the start - that he's young, needs time etc. - but i'm starting to think he needs more time in the professional environment before he can start every game. If you don't perform, you don't start - simple.

Problem with that is obviously we don't have any other proven left back, so he's sort of there by default at this point. It's been a little unfair on him to expect him to come in and instantly fix our left back woes.

And to be fair, he has not started every game. We have either seen Fenton come on at the half and Manny switch or Doyle miss out. I'm not sure the stats but they back what you are saying.

He wont be an instant fix but there is more than enough there to say that in 30 games time, he is going to be a good LB for us.

Haha, well done on the 'doubting Thomas'. I am not having a go at Doyle in particular, I am referring to having two young inexperienced fullbacks, on both sides of the defence, giving Sydney the encouragement to pressurize us from both sides. I would prefer Boxall on one side because I think he's more solid.

instant fix = unrealistic expectations. Game time can lead to improvements; yo yo yoing in and out of the squad does nothing for growth. Let's face it our back four will need to be refreshed at some stage. At the moment its Mousecat and Fenton with Doyle & JBS as stand-ins. I hope he's in and does well.

is brockie out this week or something?

Fair play...forget this is Sydney who are on form and at home. This is a key game. Must get tactics, motivation and team selection right (in that order).

Awesome story by TV3 News (Simon Hampton) at

http://www.3news.co.nz/sport/phoenix-make-birthday-visit-to-special-fan-2014121918#axzz3MK26DCuw

And at the end of it it mentions Doyle in at LB will be the only change in the line up...

Great goodwill piece there.

Yeah but the crowd number was disappointing the birthday party!

If people dont start turning up and support things then they wont come back!!!

In all seriousness this is an awesome story. Well done to all the lads for getting involved!!

Wasn't Tsattalios a LB too?

guessing we are talking Kiwis here. Otherwise Caira'd be on that list too...

JBS, Ridenton, Rufer and Hicks (back from injury) all included in ASB Prem side to take on Canterbury in CHCH according to ASB Prem website.

So imagine bench vs. Sydney will be very attacking: Boyd, Kenny, Brocks, Box and Italiano.

I like it. Ernie going for the win clearly.

Reprised from three years ago:

It was Nixmas Eve babe

Aisle 21

An old man said to me, won't see another one

And then he sang a song

“The ref is wearing blue”

I turned my face away

And dreamed about you

  

Got on a yellow one

Came in at ten to one

I've got a feeling

This year's for me and you

So Happy Nixmas

I love you Phoenix

I can see a better time

When all our dreams come true

  

They've got great training grounds

We've got Newtown Park mould

But the wind goes right through you

It's no place for the old

When you first took my hand

On a cold Nixmas Eve

You promised me

Asia was waiting for me

  

You were handsome

You were pretty

Queen of Phoenix City

When the team finished playing

They howled out for more

The Welnix was swinging,

Fever drunks they were singing

We cheered Albert Riera

Then danced through the night

 

The boys of the Yellow Fever zone

Were singing "Home and Away"

And the bells were ringing out

For Nixmas day

  

I could have been someone

Well so could anyone

You took my dreams from me

When I first found you

I kept them with me babe

I put them with my own

Can't make it all alone

I've built my dreams around you

 

The boys of the Yellow Fever zone

Were singing "Home and Away"

And the bells were ringing out

For Nixmas day

This needs to be done at the nixmas party.

number one this Christmas surely.

Any one got any idea why betting on the Phoenix has been suspended.just went to put a bet on and it says betting on phoenix head to head is suspended

It's okay it's back up again

What a great story

I think you will find the correct way to order that bench is:

Cunningham, Brockie, Boyd, Boxall and ...Italiano.

Game Day... Fire Up Farkin!!!!!

Come on Phoenix

Come on Phoenix
Come on Phoenix
Come on Phoenix

I'm picking 2-2 which would be decent I suppose. Never know though, there's been a couple of upsets in the round already: city beating victory and jets over ade.

That City game was played at a frantic pace, good game to watch