R15 vs Victory 18 Jan 7:30pm

Yeah they looked bloody good last night. The Melbourne attack when Archie is playing is always a very good watch. He just has that same thing about him as Berisha in that when he gets the ball, its like its magic time and you know something is going to happen. Him and Kosta seems to have linked up well.

They will run us off the park if we play a high back line. Please don't Ernie.

Pretty sure it was a mock haka, specifically for the fever zone. But really who cares. Just conceded a goal, there is nothing an opposition player can do at that point to make it feel worse. I don't have any problem with Archie as a player or person.

"Here's one I prepared earlier"

So as this is a Saturday night game and the four kings is closed, where are people thinking of heading after the game? Not keen on the Grand on a Saturday night even if they are sponsors (not even sure they still are our sponsors).

TAB have us as favourites...

https://www.tab.co.nz/sport/#game/130261/1/phoenix-v-melb-victory

That's a surprise. More surprising still is that the Australian TAB also has us as favourites, with similar odds.

Victory were awesome in the circumstances last night. Hope owners take note of what we're up against if we don't sign championship potential winning imports - Oz youth depth is understandably better given they are a big country, but their kids just toughen up/mature on the field earlier than our home based Kiwi kids.  That guy Dylan Murnane was about their third choice left back. Turns 19 this week. He'd walk into left back with us. Talk about up for a dog fight.  However many Oz football kids don't get the same spoon-fed upbringing that many of our soccer boys do. Tend to come from tougher streets.

ex the AGE

"Teenager Jordan Brown made his debut off the bench and Muscat said he was just one of a number of youngsters who showed that if you get the system and structure right and players believe in themselves a team can often cover absentees, at least in the short term.

Wonder how the middle of the pitch will recover from the t20

Incredibly well. It's a drop in pitch.

Just the 'Ka mate' part repeated would be appropriate

While you might be right about the kids toughen up quicker in Aus (I don't know why that's the case if it is), I think it is more the result of the Australian teams having the whole National Youth setup.  Would be nice if we could get our lads into that.  Even if we had to base them somewhere in Aus (bloody expensive though I guess).

Could also have somwething to do with the fact that they don't pick the best kids for reps/extra coaching any more. The kids who end up with the coaching and exposure are the ones whose parents are "comfortable" enough to afford academies - not necessarily the most talented.  The tough ones don't get a look in.

Referee: Adam Kersey

Nix have played 4 games under him, 1 win, 2 draws and 1 loss. Victory have played once, for 1 win.

I see Leo is in the squad, one to be omitted though.

won't see leo then will we.

See I find a bit of Irony here. We get the rookies = whinge. We get O'Leary = whinge.

Why do we discuss refs with stats etc when it comes back to a universal false impression that "they are all just shit"

I think the standard of refs this year has been low across the board with their so called 'FFA favourites' being pretty poor. The only ones that have really not contributed to that is O'Leary and Williams and while I think I can recall maybe 1 mistake with Williams not sending that keeper off, I guess there is a reason they are off to Brazil.

Saturday.

pax7171

hopefully a good walk up crowd if the weathers decent. Seen f-all advertising for it though

Forecast is good for tomorrow night. Phoenix have to perform well and win, so can't see any point playing Brockie - however he may squeak in for such a key game, and against MV, who we have absolutely no track record against. Chances are Boyd will get smashed if he starts. However those sort of selection decisions won't mean a thing if we play like first half last sunday night, as it'll be all over by halftime. That was a shocker, wind or no wind. On that - MV are good value at $2.80.

if Brockie starts he'll need to peform and score or Boyd will be in the 11 the following week and with Krishna looking sharp last week I'd expect Brockie to be out nof the 16 all together.

been said elsewhere, but I think if Boxall continues to start we might need a change of formation anyway to give us more attacking width. Without Fenton bombing forward we're too narrow. I think with Lia and Riera both having improved considerably since the start of the season that we could go back to a 4-2-3-1. Drop Brockie for Boyd, and play him on one wing with Kenny on the other. I don't think it'll happen this week but if we struggle creating space again then could be worth a shot.

Oh aye, used to be regulars in days gone by.    I have carefully prepped them to be myopic and hyper critical of Vinnie "The Cheetah" Lia....