Wonder if Sydney still rate their decision not to sign Gombau but sign Farina instead...
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
2 hours none of us will get back, still, when's our next game? Onwards and upwards.
not that it matters but mabil looked well offside. Cant stand that commentator though, props to adelaide
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
2 hours none of us will get back, still, when's our next game? Onwards and upwards.
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
Not even close to offside.
Straw! straw! I need something to clutch.
I know, I know, its serious!
It will be a thin squad to take field against Perth next week. We're short of a couple of good players.
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
We are pretty screwed for next week too... No Manny who do we turn to? Lia and Hicks/Ridenton?
Christ that was unpleasant to watch.
"Yellow Fever are fantastic – I have to say that"
Ignoring the preface sure - i was trying to exclaim it wasn't really our night, which going by the scoreline and potential injuries it looks so.
My butt is still firmly on the bandwagon though haha but I felt four a while loosing reira would be an issue
Problem is lack of consistency. Work in progress. Up and down, next game is 5:0. I miss Ifill.
Hey guys, lets look on the bright side. We have a professional football team to cheer, laugh, or cry over!
After losing at home to Melbourne Heart we all thought it was only a slip up, a one off.
After tonights game we know that this Phoenix team has problems, especially in devensive midfield and the back four.
Conceding 11 goals in the last 3 games is unacceptable for a team pushing for a play offs spot.
Especially against physical sides like Adelaide and Brisbane that push hard to win the ball back and are quick to counter attack, our
defence is often caught flat footed and ball watching.
The midfield didn't turn up for us tonight either, giving the ball away far too cheaply and holding no possession either, resulting in few goal scoring opportunities and constant pressure from the opposite team.
Earnie Merrick has work to do, but how this can be fixed I'm not too sure as it seems that some of our players, especially the younger ones are not quiet up for the challenge.
One thing I have noticed is that we are desperately missing Riera in front of our back for to sweep up and create our passing game.
Since his absence we haven't been the same team...
Terrible backline on that last goal, all ballwatching, Huysegems asleep
Well that was a shocker.
We BADLY miss Riera. I thought Lia and Muscat were shocking in the midfield. Chasing shadows all night. Lia seems to be back into his "jogging back" routine when he should be busting a gut to get back - see 2nd goal for clear evidence of this. 4th goal also IIRC.
Muscat was never going to get out of there without a red, should've been subbed earlier.
We simply cannot handle teams who get in our face and pass the ball around quickly.
Quite annoyed about the persistent fouling by Adelaide but I don't think they got any bookings??
Overall though, conceding 11 goals in 3 games is not great.
Bit worried all these injuries are going to cause us to miss out on the finals now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe_B5CzbTJo - Caceres winning penalty v Perth - footage from the Fever Zone
Better off without Muscat in midfield. He is too much of a liability there
I think we need a bit of an overall re-think.
Right now since we lost Riera we were very loose against Newcastle but outscored them
Got bossed by the Heart.
Got bossed first half against CCM but managed a scoring blitz in the second half to paper over the cracks a wee bit.
And have been pretty well bossed today.
Midfield has been pretty lacking right throughout that run of fixtures. We've still got a lot of firepower in attack but we look like we'll concede a couple of goals in every game at least so we're really putting a lot of pressure on ourselves to attack well. There is a gaping goal in central midfield and it needs to be plugged or we're going nowhere fast.
BTW Hicks is definitely not the answer
I suppose if you'd told me beforehand that from our away trip we'd end up with 3 points and a -1 goal difference I'd have been happy with that. But it wasn't a good display from us tonight, no matter how high quality Adelaide were. You can't excuse poor passing, lax marking, inability to control the ball and that visible attitude of "let someone else step up and do the job, it's not my responsibility".
We have big midfield problems.....and now with many out next week we are really in deep shiite. Probably Lia back to DM(shudder) and start Ridenton
How many goals have we conceded since Riera left???? 12 ????
The problem is the squad is too thin. Now that we are at the business end of the season we are picking up injuries and suspensions. The result now is we are having to rely too much on a bunch of new guys. They have talent but they are all still learning their trade. You might be able to hide one of them in a team but expecting Ridenton, Boxall, Boyd, Brindall-South, Hicks etc to come out and be competitive consistently week in week out is too big of a ask. Plenty of people said earlier that our squad looks lite...especially in experiance....Well the cracks are starting to show. Its not all bad....we should beat the teams from the bottom half of the league.....however tonight showed what we will be up against when we make the playoffs
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
We are pretty screwed for next week too... No Manny who do we turn to? Lia and Hicks/Ridenton?
Christ that was unpleasant to watch.
Well that was a shocker.
We BADLY miss Riera. I thought Lia and Muscat were shocking in the midfield. Chasing shadows all night. Lia seems to be back into his "jogging back" routine when he should be busting a gut to get back - see 2nd goal for clear evidence of this. 4th goal also IIRC.
Muscat was never going to get out of there without a red, should've been subbed earlier.
We simply cannot handle teams who get in our face and pass the ball around quickly.
Quite annoyed about the persistent fouling by Adelaide but I don't think they got any bookings??
Overall though, conceding 11 goals in 3 games is not great.
Bit worried all these injuries are going to cause us to miss out on the finals now.
Gonna revert to the original "transition year" position. If we do well again, I'll say I was just tricking.
After losing at home to Melbourne Heart we all thought it was only a slip up, a one off.
After tonights game we know that this Phoenix team has problems, especially in devensive midfield and the back four.
Conceding 11 goals in the last 3 games is unacceptable for a team pushing for a play offs spot.
Especially against physical sides like Adelaide and Brisbane that push hard to win the ball back and are quick to counter attack, our
defence is often caught flat footed and ball watching.
The midfield didn't turn up for us tonight either, giving the ball away far too cheaply and holding no possession either, resulting in few goal scoring opportunities and constant pressure from the opposite team.
Earnie Merrick has work to do, but how this can be fixed I'm not too sure as it seems that some of our players, especially the younger ones are not quiet up for the challenge.
One thing I have noticed is that we are desperately missing Riera in front of our back for to sweep up and create our passing game.
Since his absence we haven't been the same team...
Disagree with anything I said, Tegal?
Go back to last weeks thread and you'll see positive comments about a win.
My sincere apologies for a negative post following a 5-1 defeat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe_B5CzbTJo - Caceres winning penalty v Perth - footage from the Fever Zone
Where's Tonya?
Disagree with anything I said, Tegal?
Go back to last weeks thread and you'll see positive comments about a win.
My sincere apologies for a negative post following a 5-1 defeat.
Random thoughts....
OK Adelaide were good when they had the ball and our defence was just not working. Seemed to lack urgency and asleep a lot. No real screening by midfield. Has Reira got any brothers, uncles, grandfathers? As this goes on his significance becomes clearer and clearer.
But we got the ball at times as well. What happened? Sloppy passes - giving it away way more than Adelaide did. Combine that with no luck at all in some nice tries at threading it through up front and it adds up to a very bad day.
Recovering from this slump will be the true test of this season - I know we beat WSW but we were in the same slump in the first half.
Adelaide are such chronic divers - Boxall's yellow was a joke when he pulled off a great cut out and the guy he beat just threw himself into the air. And Jeronimo still = diver - you'd think the refs might cotton on one day...
Gotta love those commentators = Muscats elbow evil deliberate / Elrichs elbow (breaking a cheekbone) was accidental and he's really a top bloke cos they've met him and he'll surely be the first to apologise. GEEZ
Its been one of those night where you wonder WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF? But it will pass (I just wish the team we could pass a bit better as well)
I know I know, I saw the pokey tongue...
My apologies again if I came over too strong!
But, that game was crap and affects my mood. I'm very unstable...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe_B5CzbTJo - Caceres winning penalty v Perth - footage from the Fever Zone
Lia and Manny are the problems in the midfield, same as it ever was. Without Riera we are back to square one, but really only against teams that have good pace and expose us. Against sides like CCM, WSW, Brisbane we are in the hunt because they do not expose that midfield anywhere near as much as a side like Adelaide. We can press their possession games.
But against the quick breaking sides and particularly if they use their pace to press well and stretch us with width, Manny can't cope, Lia simply never makes it back, the FBs get forced to stay deeper. We loose all width from the FBs and Kenny having to play more defensively and as a result the possession game in the front half breaks down. Then we are not only defending in trouble but we also don't keep the ball and are defending in trouble all game.
Next seasons top priority is a back-up DM/quick midfielder. When have I heard that before?
Lia must go!
Seriously though...he must.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe_B5CzbTJo - Caceres winning penalty v Perth - footage from the Fever Zone
After losing at home to Melbourne Heart we all thought it was only a slip up, a one off.
After tonights game we know that this Phoenix team has problems, especially in devensive midfield and the back four.
Conceding 11 goals in the last 3 games is unacceptable for a team pushing for a play offs spot.
Especially against physical sides like Adelaide and Brisbane that push hard to win the ball back and are quick to counter attack, our
defence is often caught flat footed and ball watching.
The midfield didn't turn up for us tonight either, giving the ball away far too cheaply and holding no possession either, resulting in few goal scoring opportunities and constant pressure from the opposite team.
Earnie Merrick has work to do, but how this can be fixed I'm not too sure as it seems that some of our players, especially the younger ones are not quiet up for the challenge.
One thing I have noticed is that we are desperately missing Riera in front of our back for to sweep up and create our passing game.
Since his absence we haven't been the same team...
Lia did well with Riera because Riera did all the work!
Sorry, if Lia is only able to play when certain players are supporting him, then he's not good enough.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe_B5CzbTJo - Caceres winning penalty v Perth - footage from the Fever Zone
Lia must go!
Seriously though...he must.
Completely ignoring the fact that he played well alongside Riera.
It is more that Manny and Lia don't work together. At all.
Normo's coming home
I know I know, I saw the pokey tongue...
My apologies again if I came over too strong!
But, that game was crap and affects my mood. I'm very unstable...
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
Considering we had about half as much possession as Adelaide, it shows their game plan when they commit almost twice as many fouls as us (and I think there could have been more in our favour :p ).
I felt Adelaide were starting to tire and we were able to get more on the ball and work the ball into the attacking third, then we go down to 10 and then 9.
At least we've now got a realistic perspective on this season. Getting up to 6th could be a realistic target but no higher - but injuries and suspension ontop of lack of depth will make it a cliff-hanger. It may come down to everyone's run of opposition for the last 6 games.
I know we talked about this being a transition year but tonight's performance shows we are really not in the same league as some teams and I don't know if we can get that much better.
I think with 1 or 2 additions in midfield, a fullback, and possibly a striker, we could really challenge.
Injuries have really done us over though which is a pity as our strongest XI would get close to most teams in the league.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe_B5CzbTJo - Caceres winning penalty v Perth - footage from the Fever Zone
I think with 1 or 2 additions in midfield, a fullback, and possibly a striker, we could really challenge.
Injuries have really done us over though which is a pity as our strongest XI would get close to most teams in the league.
Agree that our A-Team would be a handful for any team - but we're fast heading for our C Team at the moment though. UGH!
Still - we are the 'Phoenix' and its in our nature to go down in flames every now and then. Its makes the good days even better I guess.
