Vs Once Were Pissants

What is the travelling squad?

Can't believe Smith is being left at home. What's the bet, it's back to the usual positioning again. Manny back at right, Lia to midfield.. ho-hum, play for the draw...

It's getting a bit old now...

Same squad as Jets game, minus Smith, with Ward and Lochhead back.

We should have left Downey at home, and had Smith on the bench at least.

 How many yellows is Brown on? I wouldn't mind seeing Smith in the role Brown plays, I think he might be more suited to being further up the field than the DM play maker role he has been played in.

not injured just robbed! Lia in for Smith effectively....just plain stupid, smith does just as well as lia defensively but offers so so much mroe on attack, we could have gone to adelaide for the win, but now we will scrap for the draw and make the reds look better than they are.

that because he probably isn't

Count me baffled too. Smith really should have been on that plane. Bonkers decision. He has been class, especially when asked to play in the DM role.

The decision to leave him behind makes me assume that we are not renewing his contract. And that makes me wonder if we are not renewing his contract because we have a better signing lined up to come into the squad when the transfer window opens...

i can not express how sh*t this decision is.

I can now advocate the sack Ricki calls.

Easy pal, 9 points from 12...

How the hell can Ricki drop a guy who has been our near best over these past few games, where we have won those points.

Why would any player want to play for this club, if they know there are guys who will be picked no matter what and despite their lack of form.

A standout performer who is playing his ass off isnt rewarded for his good form, while Brown, Leo etc just slide into the team every week for no reason.


Worst Man Management Ever

What we really need is for someone to whack Tim Brown over both his knees with a crowbar in some dark alley, and then Ricki won't have to make these judgment calls.

Any volunteers?

Yessir, it certainly sucks that Ricki dumps a well-performing player from a winning team. It sucks even more that Ricki is too chicken-sh1t "cautious" to ever make changes to a winning team. Sack Ricki, hire Rini Coolen.

(above may once again contain traces of sarcasm)

I think Smith should be there as well but don't you think you are overreacting a little. Smith didn't even play against roar or glory was he? He did pretty good against Melbourne and was also good against Newcastle but he wasn't the best.

I like smith. Wasn't a big player in the noocastle game. However the fact he is a guest player with his contract about to terminate does come into play if he isn't a player who is one of the first picked. Freezing him out for contract purposes (not that I know how we fit him in as an import) and doing what's right for our ongoing squad players (sit him out entirely rather than have him on the bench) comes into play.

he's a guest? Not injury replacement?

Unhappy because I want us to keep playing this flowing football if we can, and I think that Smith was a part of that.

Terrible call!

This is stupid Ricki.

Who cares if his contract is going to run out, if we had Ronaldo on a guest contract would you play him?

yes a slight overreaction, but the guy has heart and desire to play at this level.

Apart from being a kiwi, what more does Brown bring to the table than smith?

I feel like Brown is far less effective when sanchez is playing.

If brown was to drop out injured, I feel we would not notice him gone at all, in fact notice how many more players we have in the midfield

I have no idea what's going on, is he going off to trial somewhere? Does he have talks with another team? who knows but I woul'dnt slag of Ricki just yet until he explains, (hopefully), why he's left Smith out.

So that, for me, is a good reason to leave Smith out for Lia; but leaving Smith out for Ward is a bit of a headscratcher for me.Doloras2011-12-29 12:58:03

And then there's Tim brown the friendly ghost in the midfield...Tegal2011-12-29 13:04:14

Quite frankly, I'm not convinced by the "Tim Brown doesn't do anything" mantra. Sometimes I think the people who say this base this on watching games on TV and counting the number of times commentators say players' names. I think someone was actually amazed to find out how many tackles Brown makes.

Actually I base it on watching him live at the stadium. I watch him off the ball as well as on the ball. He is a ghost in midfield,and always out of position.

He hangs about up front far too often. Many times I've seen us concede and he has been further up front than any of our strikers. (this is also true when we have possession too,so no saying "he's not a defensive mid)

If ricki HAS to pick him every week,I'd rather he just chucks him up front with greeny. Then maybe we'll have a midfield.

Does that help?Tegal2011-12-29 13:14:12

I watch him live at home, TV away. When watching on TV, he is rarely on screen, and he generally trys to pass the ball away on his first touch without much sucess.

He does not ever pass and move.

He doesnt run his ass off back to help the defence.

He does not create, or open up defenses.

He tackles on the wrong side of the player, gives away stupid fouls.



With a real attacking midfielder on the pitch, Brown is useless

The answer is clearly that Brown has pictures of Herbert with a donkey.

I'm horrified that Smith has been left out on the game at Adelaide. He has been superb.

I'll join the chorus of the very disappointed at Smith being dropped so Lia and Brown can play DM together.  Whitby boy2011-12-29 13:28:45

Not to mention the "you have to be cautious" quote in the media just before playing the team at the bottom of the league. It doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

I`m amused by this lynch mob mentality

Can I get an apology from zinedane who accused me of making the above quote up?

I think regardless of when Smith's contract ends, it's not this week for sure, so he is available for selection.

Our midfield last week with Daniel, Sanchez and Smith was so effective and the football we played was very attacking and attractive, why revert back?  Smith at DM > Lia > Brown, and why he's dropped completely? not even on the bench? plain dumb decision.

As a club you should always aim for 3 points at every game, let alone we are playing the bottom placed AU, this is our best chance ever to pick up 3 away from home.  Now we can almost tell the RH is playing for a draw.

Re: Brown, RH never explained why he's so much superior than any other midfielder in the team, plus he's not on form week in week out and it's making me very angry to watch.  He's auto-selection to our starting XI is so unfair to other players like Smith!!

I don't get it.

Downey on the bench ahead of Smith

mute and watch as this guy gets the newsmartinb2011-12-29 15:07:46

Smith was the best player on the park last weekend. Unbelievable call.

Sack Brown.

I (kinda) get Ricki preferring Lia in midfield away from home, but preferring Downey on the bench? Ricki said he likes Downey further forward, the one time he had a real opportunity to do something in the Jets third he quickly found himself cornered by a couple of them and lost the ball.
Smith blatantly > Downey, the only logical answer I can see is with Ward and Pavlovic on the bench Ricki wants him as a wide option.

Downey and Smith are completely different players. Covering either side full back and wings is handy on the bench. He is also much quicker. Haven't seen much of him but I have no problem with Downey on the bench, I think its important to get him up to speed quickly. Maybe then Manny can even move back into the midfield.