R8 vs Melbourne City | Sunday 30th Nov | 5:00pm | RoF

Agree. I was sore after the loss the Adelaide in the last second, but not upset with our performance.

After the game against Perth, I thought "WTF?"

Yeah this fixture last season was the single worst Nix performance of all time.

And it was the one RoF game I drove down from Auckland to watch!

Having just flown back from Perth I can confirm that flight is an absolute killer. Left Perth at 6.30pm Perth time and landed in Auckland 6 hours and a bit later at 5.40am Auckland time. It's awful. Hard to go to sleep soon after take off, and if you don't then you're doing two full days back to back.

Right im over our average performances. Time for us to well and truly hump someone.  And i think the heart/city, are the perfect team for us to do it to.

COYN!

We need to put CityHeart to the sword here, close the gap on the runaway top 4 and quieten down the doubters that always rise up after consecutive losses. 

How come the Tards are playing Adelaide at home and then us at RoF according to the TAB panel at the top?

We are going to get humped.

I tink FeverBot is having a fling with TABBot

I know what it is like I used to work that route for a few years when I was longhaul crewand then commute back to Wlg!!

I agree it is a tough shift - did that flight myself, and then I live in ChCh (direct connection here while the Wgtonians have no such luxury).

Which is, of course, why we need to expand the A-league to include a team from Christchurch.... we'll beat Perf every time!

TAB have f*cked up and have put us playing Victory. All my Bots are working correctly!

I have a cheap flight I need to flog on from Auckland to Wellington, leaving this Friday if anyone is interested. If anyone knows anyone who might be keen to buy it off me let me know!

Just been watching this- and there is something that hasn't really been talked about when we talk about Brockie's goals.Most of us remember the wonder strikes against Melbourne, but for the rest there were four fantastic assists from Paul Ifill. He could make 'em as well as score 'em. Perhaps the difference is not the striker but the service?

From the time Brockie went to Toronto until now, he has scored 1 goal for the AWs and I think 5 for the Phoenix? You are looking across nearly 40 games I would think if you counted Toronto, AWs and Phoenix regular season. Thats not just a momentary slump, thats a career slump.

Unfortunately I think it is now at the point where, in Golfing terms, he has the Yips

Can we just have Paul back oh football gods.

Yeah its not good but you can't say its a blip. Its now a full on issue. This is not one I think that you play your way out of (lets also not forget 2 penalty misses which should be too easy)

Nice observation but I don't think you can make the case that it is NOT the striker and it's all to do with the service. For that argument to stack up there would have to be rubbish service, and I don't think that is the case. Wee Mac in particular, and others, have been providing great through balls this season. Lack of opportunities is not the issue.

Free bet then? 

Double header now in the panel above.

I miss Iffy and a Brockie that actually knew where the net was :(

I would take Iffy back even if he only had one leg and just hopped around the pitch.

Does that mean you get the Phoenix at $4.20?

Definitely think Boyd is worth a start. Has been scoring frequently at domestic level and if we are to continue with a front 3 up top, will prove a far more effective winger than Jeremy. 

Gorrin in for Lia i also belive is a smart option.

Subs Boxall, Boyd, Lia, Italiano, Brockie

I think there used to be. Now Im starting to think its cos the oppo have worked out were the hell we are going to play the ball, cos its all predetermined and predictable.

Something like that. Its hard to decide though as McGlinchy is being wasted out on the wing i reckon. He excelled at CCM playing the number 10 role. A 4231 with him in behind burns is a possibilty?

I will be "on duty" at the FIFA goal air castle 4-4.55...say hi if Im not flat out collecting or avoiding balls.

Don't wanna be accussed of being negative - but this is really must win...

So it seems that Lia whom was one of our best players against Perth is back in the designated scapegoat position and needs to be dropped.

I think you will see both Krishna and Brockie make way for A-Rod and McGlinchey

Why haven't we been able to, or even tried to, recruit the next Paul Ifill?

god I am sick of this "scapegoat" bullshit.  Lia, as attractive and likeable as he may be, is one of our more limited players. Some people think that other players are better than him at certain aspects of the game and that may (or may not) be true. The fact that he played well in one game and there are people suggesting he be dropped for the next game is nothing to do with him being a scapegoat and probably more to do with people suggesting that we should want to try and play a different type of game than what we did in that game. Perhaps that they think that despite his excellent defensive performance away from home, we have other players who can come in and offer more attacking threat.  Again, they may or may not be correct.

The whole scapegoat thing just reeks of superiority to me - of someone trying to highlight that other people are just following popular opinion and have no idea about the game (unlike the person who made the scapegoat call).

By the way, not picking on JV here, but his post was the straw that broke the camels back. Also, it might be worth noting that I have no opinion either way if Lia should or should not be dropped this weekend.

I never understand how people see the game this way. I almost feel like i've been watching an entirely different game. The whole team played badly, but Lia just offers Nothing at all going forward, and Defensively is awful too. You can say scapegoat all you like but the reality is that i don't think he's good enough. Then again i've been feeling this way about him for a few years now...

Midfield:

Bonevacia - Offers something going forward, first touch has improved and can take players on. He's really fit too which is a bonus.
Riera - The Defensive master. Drops into the backline when we're under the pump. His positional awareness is the best in the team. Hardly ever gives the ball away (Last week was an anomaly) - Makes ALOT of tackles.

Lia - No matter what people say re the goal we conceded on the first day, it was his fault. Turning back and overhitting a pass isn't something new tbh. He then managed to gift wrap a one on one chance to Jeronimo when we beat the Jets. The amount of times against perth he would just pass to the wide man, or to Riera (Who was basically standing next to him) irritated me. He doesn't take his player on, and doesn't have the brain to be a defensive midfielder, and too many passes over/under hit. 

In a formation with 3 Midfielders you generally want the Defensive screener, The box to box and the creative maestro. Lia is none of these. Lacks the positional awareness to be a DM, the fitness and ball skills for a BtB, and the ability to pick out a pass (maestro). No, passing out to the wing doesn't count. Easy option, which allows the opposition to squeeze the player out wide leading to the loss of possession. I thought we looked bluddy good against West Ham in pre season. Gorrin and Riera looked a better fit. Bonevacia fits the Yaya Toure role. The Muscle and occasional goal. 

I just want to know what is Lias Role and why he's apparently the best we have at it. 

The same people say Brockie is working hard, shutting down the goalkeeper. But then he's absent for another few minutes because he's too stuffed to make a run. In fact, i hardly ever see him make intelligent runs anyway.

I was laughed at a few years ago when i suggested that Boyd was a better prospect than Brockie. I doubt people would still laugh.