R4 vs Melbourne Victory | Monday 3rd Nov | 9:30pm

Burns cannot score one on one!!

Yep I agree.....we are not out of it by any stretch. We haven't even got going....hoping second half things turn our way

Roly, reira and A rod have been good this half, however the ball seems only to be transiting through them to nowhere.

Lia is shit.

Yeah it's bullshit, the commentators should be ashamed of themselves. We're apparently against simulation but the commentators themselves encourage it. The fact that he managed to keep his feet tells me there wasn't enough contact.

A more positive performance tonight compared to previous trips and thus far, not a lost cause. Remember that game when we were 3 down before half time?

Michael Zappone worst haircut in the A-League.

A-Rod is faster than I thought.

Put Doyle on.

Oh hi. Quality first post for the night 

For once skygo is quite good. Hasn't frozen once yet.

Haha. The missus just said 'wtf is wrong with his hair?'

He's missed 4 already this season (including the one he scuffed in).  

nice one moar stars

I think they said "could have gone down" but might as well have said "should have gone down"

Yeah perhaps if he was a cheat.

Well what to say

There are a few things not working but the two biggest things that override everything is that Ernies decision to change the formation has been tactically wrong thus far. Also we are playing at their pace but not very well. We are making no effort to control the tempo. They get possession and we stand off to hold our shape. We get possession and they swarm the ball forcing the heavy touch, the bad pass, the mistake.

K Muscat has this one all over Ernie so far.

The players... well I have whinged enough about who I think is poor but I think Ernie needs to look at bringing Doyle on and he either drags Fenton and switches Muscat (which might be the best option) or drags Manny knowing he is on a yellow and certainly not showing restraint in earning a 2nd. If he lasts 90 mins without being sent or subbed, I'll be surprised because he is honking and asking to get tossed.

With our poor defenders we are always going to struggle.  MV are killing us with one touch football.

They were offside for their goal

To be honest he is simply being outmuscled on the ball by the Victory, much like other players, just more so 'cause he's slight of frame.

Plus he might be a bit cautious with mixing it up with the Tards after his long injury layoff.

What is with Ernie shitting the bed when away to Victory? The main reason we are struggling is because Manny isn't a left back, Fenton is rusty and Lia is playing for whatever reason. Why would he make those changes against a comparatively weak victory side? Makes no sense whatsoever.

Last season in melbourne he played a high line against them which screwed us too. 

Roly is a beast. Burns has turned down some blind alleys. Albert is looking top class. Liking Rodriguez in this game. Hopin like f...a bit of a disappointingly soft goal after that 20 minutes where they couldn't do anything but foul us. Haven't created a shot on yet though.

CMON PHOENIX!

I wonder if Ernie will bring on Doyle after the break, and it'll be for Manny or for Louie.

But technically, he scored that so...............he's  missed 3.

There certainly didn't look to be that much in it, he jumped the challenge right?

If he went down, they probably would have berated him for going down too easily.

A bit harsh. Going forward compared to last week has been very disjointed, but we've kept ourselves in the game. Unlike years gone by we'd be guilty of letting chance after chance after chance pile up for MV and that's when we've found ourselves out of the game at half time 2-0, 3-0 down. 

We've kept them honest, and chances have been at a premium.

Fenton off, Lia off, Muscat off. 

I'd be stoked if we could nick a point.

Can someone explain Ernies decision to drop Doyle because I can't work it out.. Manny has been ripped apart at left back. At least Doyle would've offered more going forward.

Manny I hope, but don't expect. I struggle to see how Manny is not going to get another card.

Shouldn't count though, and it didn't. It looked like they may have been 1inch off. And nobody touched it anyway. If it's that close I don't have a problem with a goal being awarded.

Outside the box. But it was a foul and it wasn't given. On the other hand they rotated the fouls on us like they were being coached by someone who was an expert on that BS and I thouhgt I saw their left winger kick the ball away twice after our free kick with no sanction.

They've dominated the game with their best players out. Nothing to be proud about there. I think if we played the same team as last week we would be looking far more comfortable. Lia just gets in the freaking way, I swear.

He still missed the 1 v 1, the scuff was a different chance

In my opinion there was nobody interfering with the ball - it went in directly off Finkler's free kick.

I might be wrong but someone with a) younger eyes, b) better stream may correct me.

See I think Victory could be a head by more. Not because of shots or anything. They legitimately look more threatening on attack and I inhale a little when they start running at us. I don't do that when we have the ball simply because we have not been in a position to do that. Also I think its more their dumb luck than our good defending.

On the positive side we are usually about 3-0 down to MV by now.

I'm sick of losing versing Victory at Victory.  I demand a victory.

Completely agreed. It's been like a training run for the Victory so far - apart from that one chance that Burns predictably missed we've had nothing. Hoping for a big improvement 2nd half because Ernies making me tear my hair out with these decisions tonight.

Clearly you have not watched Kevin Muscat much in his playing days, the "most hated man in EPL" in his time.