Time to Sort S**t Out - CCM - Match Fred

Probably

Agree I've watched a hell of a lot of football and never seen anything like it. Would have thought with Johnson and Coveny getting on a bit last thing they needed was a half time work out. Probably a psychological tactic to   show CCM that we've hardly raised a sweat.   whitby fever2008-09-14 21:18:08

I think today's crowd was about what i expected. Couple of things happening over here today, well mainly the Warriors which will have affected todays crowd. Also MF you obviously don't know about what is going on in other sports in Wellington but the Wellington rugby team is top in the provincial competition, 7 from 7 playing attacking rugby. They are getting good crowds which will be affecting ours.
But as has been said in so many other threads it isnt funny, we start winning we will get crowds!

jamesnz2008-09-14 21:23:02

...as it's in Perth I don't like the chances.

I still think the timing of games is affecting crowd numbers.  If games are gonna be on sunday they need to be at 3pm to get families along.

I think the Sunday games would be better at 3 or 4pm. A bit warmer and more time in the sun.

Our last two matches have been rubbish, the Lions are on a run, marketing is virtually nil compared to last year yet the crowd was 900 bigger than last time...

...Meh

Apparently the kids free promotion will go on later in the year, i think they may need to bring it forward

Last year it was for the last game I'm sure. Can't remember if it was used in any others.

First things first. It was great to see that Ferrante was dropped, that knucklehead was doing my head in. Anybody can control a ball and pass it backwards. In saying that the midfield today was a shambles again and Johnson (once scored at Old Trafford) and Dodd (mince and cheese thanks) were poor.

Our midfield is awful. Hopefully Brown can do a better job than the status quo as his fitness gets better, but I'd be surprised if he is the answer to the problems. If it's allowed (salary cap, etc) we need to sign a quality midfielder and quick, Elliot could be an option.

Gao should start every week.

Coveny doesn't provide enough spark, I don't think he complements Smeltz very well at all. It could be time to give Costa a run.

All up, a very boring match, that will do nothing for crowd numbers.

Would you consider coming if we won 5 in a row?

I would really like us to start the same back 4 next week as we started with today - even Graeme Henry has finally learned the value of not changing a winning combination. By winning I mean the back 4 didn't concede a goal - it's not broken - don't try and fix it. Let them play together some more and develop a combination and understandings. In McKain and Durante we have the makings of a very good defence.

Our problem is the midfield - that's what needs to be sorted out.

Daniel easily played his worst game in phoenix colours for me tonight, dunno what was wrong with him but he just seemed 5% of the player he usually is. Saw the training before the game and nobody looked like they had their shooting boots on to use the old cliche. Sigmund was great when he came on, Durante was solid the whole game and had a real never say die attitude that every captain needs. Poor old Smeltz had nothing to work with. Coveny worked damned hard and he musta been exhausted at the end. In the end we never managed to get the ball into the box and we didn't even shoot outside the box instead. Mulligans distribution was absolutely shocking at times, really disappointed but hopefully he'll get better. Do we need a bloody petition for Costa?!

Think we missed Ferrante alot, he's the man everyone looks to pass too, we had no specalist distributors since Daniel was off form. Ferrante just strings things along all over the park.

felt pretty flat at the end and pretty worried oon more than one occasion during the match

We were garbage.

With all home games except one at 5pm on Sunday, I won't be there at all this season. Work Xmas Do the night before the Saturday game. I wonder how many other out of towners this effects too (Sunday 5pm games not my Xmas Do).

Harden the f**k up. Yes it wasn't pretty, but you might not have a game to come to next year if you don't keep coming this year. Remember it was only just over 1 year ago the Knights were kicked out of the league for poor results and poor crowds, if crowds drop drastically for the Phoenix there will be many people in aussie trying to make the same thing happen for the Phoenix, and if the Phoenix go that will be it for NZ pro football, there wont be another chance.

It might be poor quality football but it's still better than any Rugby! I live in Auckland and I think you guys are lucky as hell to have an A-league team, don't stuff up your chance and make hypercrites of all the Wellington people on this forum who bag Aucklander's for not getting behind the Knights. I'd love to have them back. Don't take the Phoenix for granted!
siac2008-09-14 22:17:57

Bosnich chanting was gold -

posh spice is a slapper, she's also filthy rich, and when she wants her cocaine, she goes to Mark Bosnich! 

Seriously though am I the only one who could see his man boobs?

We lack the following:

1: A quality Centre Midfielder

2: A quality Centre Midfielder and

3: A quality Centre Midfielder

We have a keeper, centre backs, strikers, wide players. I think the missing link between them all is in the middle of the pitch. Dodd doesn't belong there, Ferrante isn't quite as bad and at least Johnson tries even if unsuccessfully but they are not up to it. Hey if fat pricks like Charlie Miller can run through the middle, doesn't that say it all??????

I agree siac.  Get behind your team and don't be a fair weather fan.

I only saw the second half of that match but what I saw was good.  Daniel (who I've complained about in the past) along with Hearfield and Lochhead did really well.  I don't know what took over Ricki when he subbed Daniel and Troy off.  And so far this season I've thought McKain's been dreadful, but he had a good match today, so overall I'm reasonably happy.  Somebody mentioned a Phoenix midfield with Bertos on the right, Brown and Gao in the middle, and Daniel on the left.  That sounds quite good in my opinion, although I'm not sure if I'd play Bertos ahead of Hearfield.

I thought Mulligan played reasonably well and his distribution was nowhere near as bad as people make out, he did fine.  Sigmund played well also.  I want to see Costa start next week and go off on the hour mark for Coveny.  Oh, and also Dodd is pretty dreadful.  Yes, that cross was good, but he looks so very out of shape and out of his depth at a-league level. 

I was so worried when Hutchinson went down and a whistle went, man we were lucky then.  Another ref could've given it the other way.  When McKain bundled Hutchinson down in the box later though I thought that was a clear-cut penalty.

The performance today was absolute garbage!!  If anyone thinks that was football, they were asleep, which would have been merciful.

I don't disagree with you that the football has been awful this year. You say you will start watching the phoenix again 'when they decide to play football', my point is that you may not get this chance again if you stop watching, if the Phoenix results and crowds became mediocre there will be no second chances.

I just feel bad for the thousands (including myself) who have bought retro ricki's if he gets fired...thats gunna be a monumental pain in the ass WillyB2008-09-14 22:52:19

What happened to Phoenix till I die...

Yeah, they looked convincing last night.

You make some good points but I can't agree with this one. Ricki's squad selections were baffling this week- Dropping Ferrante when he'd been the only one looking like he actually wanted to pass the ball rather than hoof it. His tactics today seemed to be pass it to the LB or RB give it a punt. We never complete a passing move down the middle because our centre midfielder Dodd couldn't pass a Grandma and Johnson seems to disapear at stages. Durante came out in the week said we were going to keep it on the ground and then we do the complete opposite.

I'm a big supporter of Ricki as coach but lately I've been a tad perplexed by his choices.

Where was Ferrante? Was he injured, sick, or just completely dropped from the squad?nixinoz2008-09-14 23:32:46

Dropped.

There's a few people in this thread who seem to forget that following a team is more about loyalty, tribalism and support of the club, than it is about opinions about quality, entertainment, branding or players. If you want a 'brand' - go watch beckham play...

Yes the Phoenix have been a disappointment so far, but when I bought last year's and this year's season tickets for me and my family, it wasn't conditional. There wasn't anywhere that said, '...but if the football's crap I reserve the right to demand a refund...'

I expected more, granted. But you know in the history of football, there have been worse perfomances. We finished last year rock bottom, and right now, we're one from bottom. However you measure, so far we're doing better.

I know we expected more... but that's football. Get a grip and get to the game.

2 things...

1. Think Ricky's been playing Championship Manager at home. Got to be the only excuse for some of the formations and tactics this year...

2. Karl Dodd is a fat-arsed donkey.

They looked pretty average against Adelaide, better tonight, but still at no time was there really any comprehensive football which you knew was going to end in a decent shot on goal. We didn't always do it last season, but you knew that we could.
Positives - I think Moss is improving
Negatives - he shouldn't have that much work to do
                 - we keep kicking the ball away, or straight to the opposition
Come on Phoenix, you know you are better than that.

Maybe if he starts playing Football Manager instead, results will go our way.DKP222008-09-15 00:25:33

I don't think that blame can be heaped on the likes of Coveny, Smeltz, Daniel or Hearfield. Dodd, Johnson, Lochhead and Mulligan are squarely to blame right now in my opinion. Our attacking players can't do much if they never get it to feet.



Wow. Pavlos should be banned from this forum.
valeo2008-09-15 00:51:32