R2 vs WSW, Sunday 7pm SS1

Decent point, thought the team looked pretty good from what I saw of the game (last 30 or so), especially how we held the ball and our short passing game. 

That was a good result and both teams deserved a point. Looking forward to the 3 points next week and that should be easy as N/Castle are a poor side. The following week against Melbourne might be a bit harder.

All I can say is I have no idea what that team/formation we started with was, but it was $hit.

Different class second half/

It's great to see us hold out at the death against a good team in tough conditions. Wouldn't have seen that last season

Good stuff nix. Very happy with the point and the performance 

After our first two games and watching the Jets play I'd have to say those 3 points are ripe for the plucking

Great result!

Good result.  Im liking how the Nix are starting to pass the ball around, felt we could have gone for the win there in the last 5-10 min.  Having Carlos and Ifill on the pitch gives us good attacking options.  A good point away today 

I can't remember the last game we played like that away against a top notch side. Think we might murder some side sooner than I thought. 

Great result.  As much for the point, as the way we played.  Tough venue and a great crowd, expecting a 3/4 goal crushing to their home-town heroes. Didn't happen.  Because we are a very good team - much better than last year.  We aren't anyone's easy beats, despite the first 20 or minutes or so when I glumly predicted a 4 goal thrashing.  Great effort from the team. Love Ifill of course, Hicks superb, and Brockie is goal hungry.  You could argue that was going to be one of the toughest games of the season - at home to last year's league winners, but we came away with a point and as the commentators, said, thoroughly deserved.  Feelin' good.

In our weak areas Caira and Leo did solid jobs.  Siggy held his line better.  Hicks looking like he may develop OK.  Riera looks like he is feeling his way at this level, but early days.  Hopefully Ernie can get more out of Stein and Kenny.  Some depth in this squad now.   And as everybody is saying, how good is it to have a coach who can make the right decisions

Great result away v the Premiers

Good performance and we probably could've won with a bit of luck.

Next week I'd have Riera in for Lia, and Ifill on from the start too, for either Stein or Cunningham.

good performance .About 20 minutes where wsw were dominating but defence was solid will be hard to choose MOM

Impressive second stanza. Ifill hernandeZ class. Caira much better game. 

Man of the Match - Ernie Merrick. It was not working having Brockie out wide. He realised this, pulled Stein and put on for Hicks. Hicks played as well as anyone could have hoped and our midfield was hugely strengthened. Ifill at halftime was another big plus.

Sigmund and Durante were excellent. Sigmund did well for someone called deadwood earlier in the week. I'm still not sure about Caira/Bertos at the back. I still think Lochhead would out perform either.

Hernandez has really changed this team. Gives us impetus on attack and holds the ball up. Last season it was like we didn't even have a midfield. If only we could get rid of Lia and get Cunningham firing.

Guys, we have got potential. I still think we'll get about 7th or 8th but better days are ahead for the club.

Next weekend monday is a public holiday - think that calls for a road trip to napier!

Well played lads, and well played Ernie for having the balls to make some big calls early on - they really made a difference. Great to get positive raps from the commentators (although maybe having ex Victory Hernandez on our side helped).

Ernie 1 forum snipers 0

MOTM Ernie Merrick. Realized early the original line up wasn't working and made a great tactical sub. Didn't think hicks was super great but it changed our shape. Ifill for Cunningham really stepped it up again when it looked like we were just starting to fade, and then Rivera on with 5 mins left helped to keep us steady when wanderers were starting to look dangerous. Such a breath of fresh air from ricki.

I wouldn't start Ifill, don't want to wear him out. Cunningham is younger, fitter. Would happily start him or Stein, or both, then make the change should we need to. Worked well tonight. We really want to look after Ifill, his impact tonight was a god send, but sadly he doesn't have full games left in him. Part of having depth in a squad is using it.

Random comment. Far from the finished product, but I really like Hicks. He is a "busy" midfielder, and complements Carlos well. Very promising.

My hope is that by giving him 60 odd minutes we'll be a couple of goals up. Then Cunningham could come on and get more space, less pressure.

Lia is my major worry after the first 2 games. Dithers around and loses possession too often. Riera looks a lot more composed IMO, which has surprised me.

Pretty happy with that. Feeling pretty good about next weekend after watching the jets game. They look woeful. Bring on Napier!

Lia is utter rubbish

Bit early to dump Kenny. Its been two games. 

A point taken and a fair result. The best measure of that is Moss was the busiest in the 1st half and Covic was watching, 2nd half, it was a reversal.

I think between Durante, Manny, Ifill and Hernandez who had good games, one of those 4 is MOM. I was slating Brockies work rate until Stein got subbed off but he showed more of what he has when he was moved up front. Bertos looked a bit more stable at RB than Adams but he looks past it running at the opposition LB. Hicks has some nice touches but perhaps not so many minutes just yet, Caira needs to keep improving, Cunningham looks questionable, Lia less than questionable


I think there are some really good signs to come out of this game

1: Ernie. Early sub of Stein (and I was the biggest moaner that it was the wrong man). He was playing a 4-2-3-1 and using Brockie as a wide man on the right (Kenny on the left) but it showed the Brockie is not a wide man. Stein came off, Hicks on the left, Kenny on the right and Brockie up front. Essentially, Ernie is set up as a 4-2-3-1 but Fox choose not to show that as a graphic and had 4-3-3. For anyone that cares, we did not play that. When you realise that we were getting nothing from either flank, you put a proper man in there and (in this case) move the striker up front. Kudos for making the early change and also dragging an ordinary Cunningham at half time. I wonder if he had not made the changes, would we have come back into it?

2: Ifill is hardly a spent force. I think 45 mins a game is ideal for him with his age, pace and propensity for injury. If he spends the rest of the season putting in 45s like that, he'll get player of the season. You also need to have someone prepared to only play 45 for him to come on though.

3: Durante is one of the best CBs in the league. He was rock solid and did exactly as he should have.

4: Other than Brockies cross into Row Z, how many others were from out wide? Ernie has really knocked that out of them and we no longer play the old fashioned out wide up the line cross in.

5: Manny Muscat got an early yellow and I thought he would not last the game. He did and stood up strong for the rest of it. I laughed preseason when they had one of those fluff videos with the 3 radio hosts and Ernie said something like 'Manny Muscat fancies himself as a bit of a hard man'. He was rock solid today. Thats two on the trot.

6: Carlos Hernandez is a lovely footballer and he is the missing link. I think others around him need to step up to his level but his has some class touches. Think he needs a bit of motivation as he does drift in and out on his own whim.

7: Once that first 20 was out of the way, both Sigmund and Durante locked it up. The team settled down and started to play. I recall saying that we need to get a hold of the ball and play football. The first 20 we looked panicked but after that, we had some nice interchange.

8: We have played Brisbane and were unlucky and WSW and got a point. I think considering these two are likely to be in the top half of the table, we have performed with credibility and deserved to have 2 points in the bag and not one. I am hoping we string it together against an awful Jets side and punish them.

The bad

1: Vince, your time is done. No more needs to be said. Admittedly he was utter garbage in the first 20 and dropped us into so much shit, he improved to what I would classify as 'servicable' for the rest of it. Still needs to be more. Everyone is calling for Riera but the 5 mins he had, he did not instill be with confidence either.

2: The look on Steins face when he got dragged. He was not happy at all. I think this showed that Ernie has two strikers and only one can start in his scheme. How is he going to handle that when he has so much attacking options. Someone is going to be unhappy

3: The amount of long ball or 'default to long ball' in the first half. This team is a WIP but once they settled, they got back into playing football. The default to long ball position needs to be done away with.

Question mark

1: Kenny. I was on record saying he would be a star in this league before seeing him but now I really have to check myself and ask 'What does he have?' I'm hoping its an adjustment period having not had much of a preseason and a new league.

2: Cara. He defaults to Durante to bail him out a lot. He is a mixed bag but would hope that the experience makes him better.

3: Team fitness. Again, we looked like we ran out of gas.

4: Hicks. I am a fan and liked what he did when he came on but he also had some brain fades. Considering its his first two weeks as a pro footballer, there is a lot of hope but I am not sure if he warrants that volume of minutes just yet. Maybe 45 and see if we get the best from him then slowly extend him.

Next week, its obvious that Ernie cannot start with the same line up. Brockie or Stein, not both. Cunningham will start but he needs to show something. Hicks will probably start. Ifill will be the half time sub for one of these two. Lia will probably start again in lieu of better options and I think Bertos will stay at RB until Fenton is back.

As a separate question, had you not known Moss or Spoonley from a bar of soap, who should be the starter considering their showing in 1 game each. The gap is not as big as some think.