ATTN all Lia haters esp James Dean.
If he is so terrible how is it that he was at the heart of our midfield when we played our very best football this season.
Indeed our best football ever probably.
Are you that convinced of his badness that you think we effectively did that with ten men?
I think you guys took a position on Lia during the Ricki years and you're too hard headed to give him a fair go.
He is a good passer of the ball. A distributing midfielder. It's not a game of Dungeons & Dragons. He doesn't have to have Level 47 Speed like Cunningham or Level 68 Smash Cunts like Siggy to be making a valuable and capable contribution.
| Categories | Riera | /90min | Lia | /90min |
| Min | 1183 | 90.00 | 1855 | 90.00 |
| Passes | 691 | 52.57 | 1077 | 52.25 |
| Passing accuracy | 81.9% | 81.9% | 77.8% | 77.8% |
| Passing accuracy opp. Half | 76.9% | 76.9% | 75.0% | 75.0% |
| Duels | 159 | 12.10 | 253 | 12.27 |
| Duels won % | 50.3% | 50.3% | 53.0% | 53.0% |
| Aerial Duels | 14 | 1.07 | 62 | 3.01 |
| Aerial Duels won % | 50.0% | 50.0% | 56.5% | 56.5% |
| Recoveries | 99 | 7.53 | 97 | 4.71 |
| Tackles | 51 | 3.88 | 63 | 3.06 |
| Tackles won % | 80.4% | 80.4% | 77.8% | 77.8% |
| Clearances | 19 | 1.45 | 28 | 1.36 |
| Blocks | 2 | 0.15 | 4 | 0.19 |
| Interceptions | 56 | 4.26 | 49 | 2.38 |
| Penalties conceded | 1 | 0.08 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Fouls won | 19 | 1.45 | 32 | 1.55 |
| Fouls conceded | 29 | 2.21 | 33 | 1.60 |
| Yellow cards | 4 | 0.30 | 2 | 0.10 |
| Shots | 2 | 0.15 | 10 | 0.49 |
| Shot accuracy | 50.0% | 50.0% | 20.0% | 20.0% |
| Crosses | 4 | 0.30 | 25 | 1.21 |
| Crossing accuracy | 50.0% | 50.0% | 12.0% | 12.0% |
| Assists | 1 | 0.08 | 2 | 0.10 |
| Chances created | 15 | 1.14 | 24 | 1.16 |
Very similar - but one of them is supposed to have an attacking role and actually has a licence to get forward. This section is illustrative
| Shots | 2 | 0.15 | 10 | 0.49 |
| Shot accuracy | 50.0% | 50.0% | 20.0% | 20.0% |
| Crosses | 4 | 0.30 | 25 | 1.21 |
| Crossing accuracy | 50.0% | 50.0% | 12.0% | 12.0% |
| Assists | 1 | 0.08 | 2 | 0.10 |
| Chances created | 15 | 1.14 | 24 | 1.16 |
I think also there are small differences which aren't picked up by those stats. Riera is quicker and covers more ground so he's closer to the play defensively, he's more effective pressing the play. He also moves the ball much more quickly. Lia is definitely completing more passes this season, which is impressive, but it's very laboured so we don't look as good going forward.
Secondly, Riera came from amateur football and had no pre-season. Lia is a senior pro at the club. That has to be taken into account when you compare the two players.
I want to see him drag us through a game like we need our senior players to do, especially right now when we're struggling with the loss of an influential midfielder. I can't see that happening so I don't want to continue to rely on him next year, although this year obviously we need to get as much out of him as we can. Every player in the A-League has limitations but with Lia, for me, there's not enough else to his game to make up for the things he's not so good at (which surely damningly seem to be simultaneously both attack and defence).
Anyway, enough (digital) ink spilt on this game. Let's see how he (and we) go in the next match