R5 vs Western Sydney Wanderers | Friday 7th Nov | 7:30pm | ROF

It really is worth noting how good Adeleke was. That guy looked absolute quality. Not many goals are going to be scored against that defence this season. Fenton had a really tough job with him but looked more like getting around him than Burns did. 

I feel WSW are going to struggle this season even though their first XI is really good because I'm not sure about some of their depth. That 16 year old for instance, Mullen and Trifiro are going to have to play big roles but look a step down from the rest of their players. They are the sort of team you would hate to get in week one of the playoffs though.

Lots more young teenagers (not the older, more twunty ones) and a good number of families (surprisingly).

Though we seemed to be able to manage to get some attacks on goal in those games. Here we were just a bit late on things. And managed a total of 2 strikes on target. 

Krishna has had one game where he played like a headless chook and one game where he has come up with an assist. He's quicker than Brockie, that's for sure, but when Brockie played we were doing better in the front third than we did most of tonight. Fact.

And Adeleke is what, about the same age as Fenton? Or younger? The kid was bloody amazing, calm and almost "imperious" on the ball, in his first (unless I am wrong) game in the A-League. Impressive debut.

At least this time we do not have to say (after last Monday's debacle) that it sucks to be beaten by teams with teenagers in the backline.

Is it just me, or are we starting to miss having Kenny Cunningham ripping up the left flank?

It was his debut.

Fucken A what was it! and then he did it again and almost set us away again. And then he stopped.

Adeleke was at Lazio even if he never played for them. You can't compare him and Fenton.

So if Louis is out injured- Boxall to start and Ifill to the bench as injury replacement? That does leave us with no defensive cover...well, apart from Roly i guess...

Though I think Boyd has to be putting his name forward, especially if we are going to be playing the false 9 thing. That is something he did fairly well last season. I'd back him to be decent in that situation and combine well with any of the other players playing in the forward positions.

When Boxall came on he looked composed and did well. Didn't look worried and slotted right in. He's a quality footballer.

Did you think so, with 5 to go with us up 1-0 he was playing ahead of the ball in the corner.  I thought that was very odd.  Reality is we did very badly with him at right back last year, I still think Manny/Doyle is our best bet

Despite the bar having to temporarily replace the craft beer on tap with the sponsor-preferred swill for the Cup and Show Week, it was great to watch this game at the Christchurch YF HQ (The Spectators Bar). The spirits were high, the pizza was yum, and the punters were animated. Or maybe it was the other way round, sort of hard to tell now.

Still pumped after the much better second half tonight.

The result could be down to the tired legs of the WSW, or to the good subs by Ernie.... we'll take it.

We still don't have a VISA spot for Ifill or has something changed? Brindell-South will have to come in to the team.

There was obviously more to doing badly last season than having Boxall at fullback, but no I'm not keen to see him there again either.

Manny is a trooper, has good instinct and is not afraid of anyone. He is slowly showing his age though as he loses possession just a bit too often for my liking (esp. against Victory), and is prone to getting carded.

I think Doyle will develop into a classy fullback with time and opportunity. He shows promise, and it would be good to see how far he can go.

Pretty good summary. Awful to watch for the most part, when we finally put a striker on, we scored. I hate the way we set up, narrow, strikers too far apart. But we won, as someone else said. It aint pretty to watch, and at home Id like a more adventurous approach.

I'd love to see some forward runs from midfield, players moving between the lines.  Now we've lost Fenton we'll need another outlet, he gave us some width

Wow, that surprises me. I didn't find that awful to watch at all. And even though it wasn't overly effective I thought a lot of our high tempo passing in and around their box was fun to watch. The narrowness of our game is largely the result of us not having an actual striker to aim at, so that it's pointless to sling in crosses and means that there is often a lot of recycling of the ball going on.

No problem with that, we have to play to the strengths of the team we've got, and so far I reckon Ernie is doing a good job.

Confort yourselves The Wellington Phonenix WON

what a game! fever was awesome! unlucky not to have a couple more goals but awesome result. look foward to big crowds to come with some away form now! COYN

That was an enjoyable game for so many reasons

1: We got 3 points
2: We got 3 points that we deserved
3: We got 3 points that we deserved against a team that also played well
4: We got 3 points that we deserved against a team that also played well by playing football and looking good doing it.

I don't think Poppa will come away from this game cut up about it cause WSW played well but for maybe a bounce here or there, they could have had a goal too. As it was, we won it but I think he will recognise that we deserved that as well. We did not dominate them but we had the better of the game.


Many many positives from this game. Ernie decided to use the same tactics against WSW and they worked much much better against WSW than the tards. I think the main contributing factor was that we controlled the tempo of the game. I guess it highlights a fact that we can foot it with good teams but if they have pace, then we will struggle. The difference between the two games was night and day in terms of the pace of it and it suits us better to not be at breakneck speed.

I thought the midfield 4 of Lia, Riera, Roly and A-Rod controlled the game well and they shape up very well defensively. Again A-Rod was dragged but this time it worked for the Phoenix cause Krishna (surprisingly) had an impact. They linked well with the back 4 and the front 2 quite well and we are looking like a handy little football side after 5 games. Lia has justified his place for Brockie with solid performance and doing the job he has been assigned to do. On attack, it is a bit predictable as it goes wide then into the overlapper and then back so it needs a little more creativity. I'd like to see a little more from Rodriguez going forward. It also does not hurt to chance your arm on a 30y shot maybe once.

We had 3 clear chances (1 to Krishna and 2 to Fenton) we should/could have done better with and that header from Fenton, well I was saying 'where is the runner at the back' and really it needed the runner at the back coming in on the better angle. The goal from Burns was a lovely build up and I had flashes of Marco to Archie and goal. It looked like Postecoglu football and it looked bloody good.

I thought Moss was more assertive in this game in controlling his box and made some bloody good saves. We seemed a bit more solid at the back and great to have a clean sheet - finally.

I guess there are 4 negatives to take out of this game 3 of which are apparent and 1 which I am kinda manufacturing.

1: We need a penalty taker - badly. While it was a penalty, the ref did miss the first foul of McGlinchey pushing the defender so I think we were lucky
2: Fentons injured again. It was just unlucky that the guy fell on him. I really don't want to be the one to say it but if his shoulder has popped again especially after surgery, well I don't think his career has much left in it. I want to be so badly wrong on this because it was unfortunate for the lad. Either the surgery to tighten the ligaments did not work or he has a really floppy shoulder. I think if he has any chance of coming back and sustaining a career, he needs to hit the gym hard and get some shoulders.
3: One thing abundantly clear is that we need a left footer in the team. We do not have one
4: I thought that while Fenton played well and put in a lot of yards, Jesus the amount of times I screamed at him to whip the ball in was phenomenal. He did not beat his man all night. Some of you think he did but watch the tape again. Never beat his man once and I think its cause he does not have the pace to do so. If that's the case, why keep repeating? Why not whip it especially when about 3 times, I counted at least 2 yellow bodies in the box.


Not sure what was going through Mannys head at the end there in the confrontation cause he was shaping to head but him. He really needs to engage the brain because we are looking better in the discipline department and a sending off will cost us 3 points at some point.

Problems for the Phoenix is that with the departure of Caira, we look thin once again at FB now that Doyle has a 2-3 week tag on his foot and Fenton, well that could be season ending. You cannot strap that. Boxall will start next week and Manny will hold his spot but you would expect Shermy to come into the match day squad to provide defensive cover off the bench.


Otherwise, a bloody good win and positive signs from a football team that is coming along nicely and I think playing well.

Oh yeah - where is Steve-O? Never posts when we are winning.

Was Fenton's other shoulder JV.

Poor guy.

On the flip side it may mean that he can strap it and be back in 4-6 weeks although it looks like it did not go back in at all like his other one he did. I guess if things don't work out, he knows what he is in for in terms of the fix and recoverey. Question is does he just go a head and do it now and have it solved forever?

Yeah feel really sorry for him,wasnt as if the challenge was over the top.Dont think its over for him but obviously going to take a heap of work to get over this problem.Someone needs to give him Benji Marshals number so he can have chat with someone who has over come similar problems. 

It needs to be said because he gets bagged so much, but I thought Vinnie Lia had one of his best games in a Nix shirt.  

i am glad i made it to the game 2 rides about 1 minute apart got me to wellington much earlier than i expected just over 2.5 hours getting home again was the hard part got a ride to sanson with matthew then got stuck hitched under a streetlight for a couple of hours with no luck then walked to just before turakina which took about 5 hours finally got a ride about 7 am and got home at 7.30am but it was worth it a win is a win.

Thats some proper dedication mate.  Well played

We think a new zone needs to be established. It could in Aisle 7 and be for 'fans' who just want to come to the match, and drink, and don't want to know there's a game on.

Anyone else think it seemed louder than usual when we scored?

(deleted)

Because through years of bitter experience Phoenix fans are not accustomed to common sense, workable solutions.

Agreed - and part of his relative lack of movement off the ball was that he would not leave A-Rod alone for long, so well done under the circumstances. Whatever Ernie did to make him into a reliable player again needs to be bottled.

So good to wake up on the winning side of the ledger.Ahhh!

COYN

I thought we deserved the 3 points, was over the moon when we got them,  and also thought we played a lot of high quality football. Strangely though I didn't enjoy the game as much as I have other games this season - I maybe because there wasn't a lot of action in the final 3rd. 

I really like the way we are playing out of the back and some of our midfield play is quality. I don't think the front 3rd however is clicking. Looks like a work around the fact we don't have a striker. Not the best use of Roly playing that far forward and McGlinchy is not involved enough.

It's a bugger we're without the All Whites for the next 2 games however the other side of that coin is fringe starters will get a chance to prove themselves.

A word on Fenton - aside from the miss I thought he was great last night. He covered ridiculous yardage - at pace and his going forward kept them pinned back. I really hope he can bounce back.

A great 3 points.

Thought this was a very good game to watch from our perspective.

1st half we were dominant in everything but the goal scoring bit. WSW could only resort to long hopeful balls from defence to the striker/wings. And when they did get it up front they didn't fashion much of any scoring opportunity.  Our pressing game was very effective.

2nd half we fell away for a while and they were the ones passing through the midfield with us taking a few too many desperate clearing punts or turning over the ball from being pressured.  But we held them out and the re-jigging of the line up when Krishna came on (with his pace) worked well against what must have been a very tired WSW.

Could have scored more (bring back Brockie) but as JV says... WE GOT 3 POINTS!

What is the point in Fenton crossing for McGlinchey and Burns when they have Spiranovic and Topor-Stanley?