R7 vs Brisbane Roar | Sat 23rd Nov | 7:00pm | RoF/SS7

It's amazing to think that 3 points will move us top 6

Devil's advocate; while the goal was good, if he didn't completely mess up a clearing header he wouldn't have had to make the goal line clearance. 9 out of 10 times you'd get punished for a mistake like that. His experience certainly showed to get into the right position after making the error though.

he's a solid player but unlike fenton his first option is the defensive one when is the shape we attack is he needs to make hmself more available on the wing and pass forward or cross - he achieved this later in the second half.

Piscopo over Sotirio all day, maybe even try Ball out there and put Waino up top or Hooper when back

with a better touch Sotorio would have had at least three good chances... we can't afford that wastage.

It was great to get a win, but after the second goal we did seem to pull back a lot, when we should have kept our foot on them.

Time-wasting at the end is not normally a Nix tactic either ...

Why hasn't Sotorio been dropped yet?

He has no tactical awereness

Try Piscopodopo instead.

McCowatt for Devlin was an unnecessary swap - McCowatt was doing fine, and Devlin looks a natural central player, not a wide one.

So good to wake up the day after a result.Just some random thoughts.

WTF is it with the officials and us being on the receiving end of some shocking calls.

WTF is with us gifting yet another goal from around the box.

Ball reminds me of Greenie gets himself into some great positions but for what ever reason,teammates not on the same page failing to deliver the ball or just the simple fact the ball dosnt seem to bounce kindly for him.Hopefully it comes as its obvious he has goals in him.

Like the option Payne is starting to deliver and think there is room for more improvement.

Sotorio seems to have become the scapegoat for fans dont think he is as bad as some make out.Must be showing the gaffer something to be getting the chance ahead of others.In saying that would like to see more of Piscopo and would much prefer he takes free kicks than Rufer.

Really important they follow that up and start to show some consistency.

Shame our next game at the ROF isnt till the 21st of December hard to build crowds when its like this.

Sotirio, Sotirio, Sotirio. Damn, does anyone remember a few weeks ago when Davila was the designated scapegoat?

Sotirio annoys me because his touch is so poor and he doesn't stay on his feet or use his physicality long enough to either shoot or create chances for someone else. 

He gets caught in no mans land too often without looking to create or recycle, Krishna a similar speedster could do it all but I think its unfair that we try to compare him to Krishna just because he has speed as Krishna was pure beast. 

I'd say Sotirio is similar to Andrew Nabbout before he got good form while playing for Newcastle so he's still got plenty to improve on but at 24 he's still worth the investment and I think he'll get there. I'd like to see Ben Waine get more opportunities as I think he looks our best striking prospect since Tyler Boyd but with Gary Hooper returning from injury it looks like he could be playing Handy most the season.

Agree with that. In saying so though, Fenton has got 100 odd games at A-League level over Payne. Hopefully this is a start and will provide genuine competition down that right hand side, even if it isn't Payne's normal position - he certainly hasn't done too much wrong in the past couple of games. I like the physical presence he brings too, and for a decent sized lad he's no slouch either. 

I feel this team is really coming together quite nicely. Results don't indicate as much so far, but something just feels good about the current set up. Bring on the rest of the season.

that was the best Taylor goal line clearance since this one...

Devlin was very poor. He gave away a number of free kicks and showed very little skill.

Hello fellow fevers, 

I had this excellent idea for David Ball's chant. It will be using the chorus of Sweet Caroline. It goes, 

Sweeeeeet David ball (bom bom bom),

Footballs never seen so goood, 

And thats all I have so far so please feel free to help. 

For a midfielder Payne is solid at right back, reminds me of Manny Muscat

Except he managed to stay clear of Roy O'Donovan's head, unlike Manny in 2015:

Nah, Piscopo doesn't know how to track back. That is one thing Sotirio does well, and he does it all game. With Davila basically playing a free role and not tracking back as much now, we can't have two of those players.

Devlin was so bad when he came on, though; almost cost us - gave away the ball on several occasions.

[quote]Devlin was very poor. He gave away a number of free kicks and showed very little skill.

[/quote]

Have to agree and having seen him play in the NL and not even noticed him,I was wondering last night how many better local options there could be in his place?

have to say that since Davila has moved to the center we look so much more dangerous on attack.

Anyone else worried that we're only collecting goals and points thanks to Davilla? He's playing well and scoring goals but from what I've seen, Ball and Sotirio will go the whole season without troubling the "onion bag".

Not sure how Payne looked on TV against Lithuania but he got skinned quite a bit there at RB against players of a lesser quality then the A League and fouled quiet a bit when beaten.  Is he a better option then Fenton with his speed and attacking ability?

Completley agree, I believe Sutton would be better option than Devlin

Guna call bs. He beat people for pace and had hands on his shoulder, like he was playing tag all the first half and didn't go down. Second half he tries going down once, after the ball goes. Time after time he pressed or kept the ball under pressure. He made chances because he is much quicker than Ball. As we saw- with two slow front men we were really restricted. Don't get me wrong I value David Ball, but Sotirio runs all day, at pace.

Just can’t understand why some of the armchair experts here aren’t being snapped up as Premier League coaches.

Don't you know, the whole tradition of this forum is that the whole Phoenix apparatus are clueless muppets, who should take advice on coaching/selection/tactics/marketing/finance from a forum whose median user is a 55-year old overweight gentleman sitting in front of his basement computer in his undies.

Quite enjoying Talay's pressers this year - he's a man of few, confident words. Very different to whatshizname.

On game, yeah, I thought Brisbane looked decidedly average for the most part, but think our setup and hunger played a big role in that.

As a few others have said, last year's Rufer returned last night and Cacace was immense.

Hopefully we can get Hooper back on the park asap. I'm hoping having a strong, central influence up front will make a bunch of our players look better and make them more productive in front of goal too - both Ball and Sotirio are close, and I'm in the camp that says neither of those guys are as bad as some make out. And, in Sotirio's case, I think he's really starting to benefit from a solid run of starting minutes.

At this point of the season I have thought that Marinovic, Taylor, Cacace, Waine, Payne, Davila and Sutton (reserves) have looked great.

Although unsure on Sotirio and Devlin

Felt that Ball has been unlucky not to find the net at points and Rufer looked to be returning to form last night

And am excited to see more of Hooper and Piscopo.

At this point in time there are a few who are ones who got away- Pizzuto, Bell and Stenseness all whom I would have loved to see in a nix shirt

Quietly optimistic at the moment, liking Talay

You know two of those would be A-League imports right? 

Watching the Reserves game last week it stood out to me how unbelievably small Devlin is. He genuinely might be about 5 foot 5. Even in that game he got completely bullied. Playing in a role where he has to be all over the field in a very physical league doesn't do him many favours.

pleased I'm not in that demographic!

Honestly don't feel that our performance yesterday was far and away better than most of our performances this season. We deserved the win and scored two solid goals but the bigger difference was the quality of opposition imo, we didn't seem to do that much differently to our other games this season, but obviously its far easier to be positive about a performance when it comes with 3 points.

First half we struggled to break the Roar press, the only player really effective at doing it was Cacace who showed the ability to go round his man with ease. No one else looked confident enough to take their player 1 on 1 (the most effective way to break a press). 

We were also helped by Fowler subbing their best player at halftime, no idea why the Amadi-Holloway sub was made given he was their only dangerous player in the first half, but I'll take it.

Rufer was outstanding, thought he was just as good in the game before the international break. Davila knows how to pop up in empty space and honestly looks like one of the more dangerous players in the league now that he's not being asked to track back. Didn't think Stevie T had an amazing game outside of the two impact moments (one of which was created by him making a poor header, then getting lucky with where the Roar's shot went). A lot less nervous when Payne is on the ball and defending 1 on 1 than when Fenton was there, so hoping he's got RB nailed down now. Marinovic continues to be the best keeper in the league - really happy with this seasons recruitment overall.

Sotirio is copping a lot of reasonably undeserved shark on here - he's playing a role that very few players are able to execute, which is why he's still starting. No one else in our squad is able to operate up and down a flank for 90 minutes. His movement gives Davila and Ball so much space to work and we'll see a big drop in their effectiveness if we play someone like Piscopo who won't provide the same outlet or space to work in. I'm not saying he's an amazing footballer, but I think the role he's performing is quite key to getting the best out of our creative players. He's never going to be technically amazing but what he does do he does very well.

Also, Sutton is actually in the squad and now regularly making the bench. Won't be long before he plays.

Pretty much spot on; though I disagree that Rufer was outstanding. I suppose he did his primary job well - defending - but I thought his passing through the lines was really poor and he often waited too long to offload the ball.

Agree Valeo about Rufer and dont think he played like that before the international break that was a step up from what he has shown this season.Might of helped if he hadnt thought he was taking conversions.

Watched him against TeeDubs, fouls a lot, complains a lots. I don't like anything about him.

Rufer has some nice touches/turns... he looks better when he uses this skill as it create space often as turns a player the wrong way, or momentum as he then carries the ball.

Remember McCowatt pull up with cramp against TeeDubs so I would say a very good time to swap him out. Need him to stay imjury free

That was Waine, wasn't it?

Taylor & Davila were in the A-League Team of the Week