R21 v ADL Thu 27 Feb 9:30pm SS3

Just got in from training and the wife told me the score I did not believe her. She reckoned we were awful.

I'm glad I missed it now.

11 goals conceded in three games has to say something.

How slow are the back four.... Durante was abysmal, he has been decidedly average all season.

I'd like to record that while everyone else has gone to sleep, I've sat up fretting about our beloved team and am therefore the only true Phoenix fan. 

Have a fridge magnet. You deserve it.

For the record I am going to cry myself to a tired sleep now.

Meh I've been awake far longer than you wearing a hole in the carpet.

well that was yet another reminder of what can happen we we don't play as a team - noone really turned up except maybe Boxall, kenny and Carlos in parts. Whats worse is the players we have left for next week -muscat out with a red, Caira broken cheek bone, and of course kenny with whatever is wrong with his foot- replacements? maybe Ridenton to the middle with Brindell-South to LB? Going to be tough fer sure.....we simply cannot afford to be losing so badly.

Ernie has 11 days to analayse this game and get the boys back on track for perth!

Apart from the glaring holes in midfield which I have absolutely no idea how Ernie is going to fix, my biggest worry is that when we're put under pressure out passing game goes completely to poo. The number of turnovers last night was depressing.
Unfortunately I woke up this morning and rallied or wasn't a dream. sigh

Anyone else feeling slightly bipolar this season?

Terrible game and makes last weeks win seem like a fluke.

Our midfield is not working clearly and we need to try a new point of attack in our next game. 

Manny / Lia simply don't work as a combo despite having played side by side for so long there is no excuse other than they are not good enough.

Suspected broken foot for Kenny. Fuuuuuuuuuuuu...

I think Manny is hugely overrated in that midfield role. Much prefer him at LB. 

Hopefully Ernie can sign someone else now, otherwise we are in major trouble.

Toast for 2013/14..funn while it lasted.  Bring on 2014/15 and less injuries/stronger squad. 

That's triple bad: for him, Costa Rica and the Nix.

disappointing, but the reds were very good, and they had a lot of luck. and our attack didnt click today. too much bunching in the middle at the top of their box, no one making space, everyone just seemed to run into the same space.

Manny(1week?) and Caria(season?) out, so now our mid field stocks are ridiculously thin, Hicks, Ridenton and rufer are good young players but none seem to play the role we are missing. what are the chances of signing an injury replace? wasnt smithy pushing some one on the pod the other day. mike eager? maybe we need to have a look at bringing him or someone else in.

on another note, its a shame we have 9 days until we next see the nix play, but at the same time it might be useful in terms of giving ernie time to tweak tactics and for players to clear there heads.(though i know half of them are involved with the AWs or CR friendlies)

I think we really do need to focus on the midfield over the off season. Turns out we are missing Riera chronically and I thought Lia and Muscat were both completely outplayed. It just seems we have way less depth and quality there than in other areas and its probably the most important area if you do want to play a possession game. Adelaide looked really good but we just made it too easy for them surrendering possession far too easily and constantly taking bad passing options.

also have aw's callups to contend with too - our squad is going to be stripped to the bones

The only DM in NZ anywhere near standard is Chris Bale.

One game is fucked up our season so much.

5-1 loss, Kenny out, Caira out and Manny suspended. 

Walking wounded - surely injury replacement (paid for by insurance cover) should be considered, visa or not visa?

Hopefully these injuries mean an opportunity for almost but not quite level Kiwis to make their mark.

Shit thats a surprise.... Back on the Lia Scape goat trail, with a side order of Manny goat too.

IMO the biggest problem we had tonight stemmed from our wide midfielders getting caught too far forward, leaving Central midfilders trying to scramble across and help out the overloaded full backs who were just getting slaughtered.

Did Riera make Lia look good? Yes probably did, but by the same token they worked together as a unit very well, understanding what the other was doing, so as a partnership they looked very good, probably the best central pairing in the league.

Is our squad thin? Yes, but when you look at our long term injuries that would apply to pretty well any team in the league.

That Aussie commentator Nick Meredith was getting on my tits last night. Mannys elbow did not look great, especially in slow mo and he does have form in that regard (just ask Marco) but I tend to think that was a reflex action, but it was replayed about 10 times from every different angle, whereas Elrich was brushed aside as its ok he will apologise later and only the one replay shown. Reality is I feel they were both accidental and just shit happens at times but interesting to see the different treatment of both.

It was all very similar to the Heart game ... Carlos and Stein marked out of the match leaving us with little going forward. 

The commentators kept saying it was the wide guys not tracking back but so often we had 3-4 guys in the middle at the back doing nothing. Adelaide just didn't have any players near those guys while the team as whole was getting pushed back really deep. What role were Boyd and Cunningham supposed to be playing? It is primarily an attacking role, sure they need to be tracking back when under pressure but imo when they were attacking hard on their left Lia should have been right over there with Manny coming central and vice versa on the other flank. That just wasn't happening.

Think it's time to give Clapham a go in midfield. He offers an attacking edge with Kenny now out and surely he could be roped in as an injury replacement. Boxall needs to be moved to centre back where he's best suited. Still think you should start Krishna to see if his pace offers more options for Stein to work with than Brockie.

Agree that Manny's elbow was an accident....either that or he has got his thuggery well disguised now. The second yellow was inexcusable....he gave it away 60 metres from our goal. He let down the side with his indiscipline. I have really gone off him as a Nix player. Would prefer him to stay at LB where he can keep out of trouble. Riera has shown you don't need to be a meathead to play DM. The guy who axed Caira could be in trouble....it was a raised elbow.

I have been a huge admirer of Ernie this season. He has done a great job with the Ricki leftovers and a bunch of kiwi kids. He patched things up when Ifill's season ended, same for Fenton. He turned Boyd and Boxall into OK A-League players. But to me the Riera injury was the last straw. He was the vital cog that made the system work properly. We have struggled to compensate for his loss. Now with the injuries to Kenny and Caira we are really in deep deep trouble. Sure we can dip into the local leagues for replacements but they will take time to get up to speed with Ernies game.....we already have local new guys like Watson and Krishna doing bench time. The Japan game could not have come at a worse time....6 guys away all week.....Ernie will struggle to get a side together to train.

If Merrick can get this side back together now and make a run into the playoffs then he deserves a f**ken medal !!!!!!!

Time to give Krishna a chance for Cunningham. We're getting close to 'nothing to lose' territory now.

These injuries are just a disaster!

Three elbows in one game, mannys - cirio = thuggery, elrichs = I know the guy  he'd never do something intentionally. Utter crock, manny looked like he was trying to balance himself and he came down on the opposition player, Elirich raised his elbow coming into Caira - yellow if not red for mine - I hope he gets sactioned on review.

Agree wholeheartedly with this...there was no support for the defence

Like we actually expect Boyd and Cunningham to defend effectively?  Isnt it more that the 6 defenders we might have had didnt do their job well and that a flat back 4 was by passable down the flanks or on the cut in.  Attack at all costs has its downfalls...both by 4-5 goals.