R16 vs Wanderers | Sunday 8th Feb | 7:00pm | SS2

Fox Sports Alex Tobin Medal

Burns 3

Spiranavic 2

Hamill 1

We won something. 

Perspective time:

We lost our last two matches by 2 goals or less after an enforced 3 week break, both away from home in less than ideal conditions.

Still comfortably 4th in the League and within reach of 2nd or 3rd with a string of good results at home.

If that makes us shark then what were we in previous seasons?

Back four looked their combined 120+ years - too slow when it matters.

Front 3rd looks like a forward line missing a striker.

Middle of the park looked good- but who doesn't against WSW.

I can't believe Lia makes the starting 11 and Tyler Boyd can't even make the bench.

No need to panic but some changes needed.

If i was Boyd and get offers from rival clubs in the pre-season i'd leave. The amount of talent he has and willingness to work hard seems to just be ignored sometimes, he deserves more of an opportunity, instead of 5-10 minute cameos at the end of every third game when everyone else is buggered leading to no opportunity to prove himself. Give him more time and he can make an impact (Adelaide)

Why are our corners so terrible? Its supposed to be an attacking opportunity. We'd be better off kicking it out for a goal kick and saving some time. Opposition teams aren't going to be shaking in their boots if they concede a corner to us (or a free kick either).

And how did Santalab not get booked?

A strange game but sadly all to familiar...

Well we probably won't need to train in tracksuits for the next game.

One of those rare instances for us where having some big prick striker at the front whom the midfielder can lob/cross the ball at for would of helped.

Hard to combat repressive tactics like Western Sydney displayed today with what we had going forward, a slower build up or a more refined finish on the break could of helped to.

It doesn't matter, we'll still finish top 6. They won't.

I've got a feeling the weekend warriors will get their asses handed to them by the Jets next week, so that will comfort me a bit .

Although tracksuits are de rigueur in the Hutt.

I do hear what you're saying, but I'm a greedy fan and got accustomed to the winning feeling.

I just changed channels after seeing a movie called "The Beaver" on the Programme Guide.

Seems I got it all wrong...

:-(

Exactly. Sydney were 9 behind us at the break, all of a sudden within 3. These were two games we should have gotten at least 4 points from. We are lacking quality moments of football at the moment. Teams are doubling up on Burns (Obviously) and we aren't looking threatening enough anywhere else right now. We had what 2 shots on goal in the whole match? 

Good post!

We lost our last two games by two goals.  Both games were late goal sucker punches, but in both of these games the opposition set up to defend very well and our turnovers in the midfield are in stark contrast to our dominance in the first half of the season.

Sydney and City must be looking at us now without too much fear.

We are the Phoenix, anyone can beat us

No you are all right. 

Painful.  We were outmuscled by a bigger side and didn't really have any idea what to do about it. They must have been an average 6" taller than us, and they put a big screen outside their penalty area. They pretty much read everything we tried to play through there. The writing was on the wall a long way out, whatever level of possession we had. They may be bottom of the league but they were better than us.

I swear 99% of football fans are bipolar. We're gonna win the league to we're shark in less than two weeks.

The remaining 1% tend to exaggerate.

If it comes out that he has been ignored for much of this season due to contract crap. Man! the steam that will come out of my ears. Did you see Kenny's massively over cooked touch in the box. This game needed one moment from one of our forward players. Usually that's Burns. But I think Boyd would have been an upgrade on Kenny.

5 weeks since our last win. we're drug addicts, addicted to goals and success and WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY FOR 5 WEEKS....GRRRAOARGGGHHH

Boyds best ability is his dribbling. And he's not even a import. Cunningham hasn't got the same ability to dribble. Boyd was one of our better players last year and somewhat the year before. Hardly deserving to be playing only ASB football. He won us the game vs Adelaide by himself ffs!

That's "Fight with your fans"

That second half was immensely frustrating to watch. We had all the play and we looked really positive right up until the final ball, and then it would all come undone. Reminded me a lot of the game at Eden Park earlier this season against CCM where we dominated them but couldn't get the goals (although at least we got the draw there). At least that second half performance was a big step up from what we gave in Brisbane. Need to get maximum points out of our run of home games.

So was it the heat? or the long midseason break? or have sides figured out how to shut us down in and around the box? or do we have no variation on attack? or do we have no variation off the bench?

So many questions.....but it is no time to panic. At times we played some really nice football and opened them up. A few times this year we have looked great but have not got max points. I don't think Ernie will be overly worried....the goals and wins will come. 

But for fans its a pain in the arse because we have just lost to two teams in the bottom 4. If you are going to win the league you should be banking points against low sides. The run into the finals won't be as easy as we thought. But Ernie is a smart coach and we have plenty of quality players in the team.

The only other question I have is what does Boyd have to do to get in front of Kenny off the bench. IMO Boyd is the better late impact player.....he has more skill and talent. Kenny runs around like a fox terrier on "P" but that about it. Boyd has a future in this club....Kenny won't be here next year

Long odds to see Boyd back next year. 

Yep.  I think we were good for a couple or three goals but for final touches or not quite getting on to the through ball.

There was one way we were going to win that game - more width. Boyd would have been our best asset. Cunningham made no difference at all, and we would have been better leaving Krishna on. Shark me , if you are losing, take off a defender

Can't see any other HAL side using an import spot on him.

Why? Our fullbacks were pretty much in the attacking half the entire game. 

Not the end of the world chaps ,the league is still as tight as a badgers arse at the top and we have home games coming up at the el stadio bogunus !

Muscat was responsible for their first goal and nearly caused another with a poor clearance a few minutes later also why do we never win throw ins and why didn't we take  one decent corner in  the whole game (a fact pointed out by our Captain after another insipid short one from wee Mac !)

Pretty sure Boyd ,Cunningham and Boxall will say goodbye at the end of the season and probably Burns as well if he is offered enough silver in Asia !

Still confident that we can make the finals though as there's a long way to go still!

I just go back from the game, A Good Aussie Nix's turn out. Shame about the game but WSW deserved the win. 

and they achieved what?