Wellington Phoenix Men

Vs Once Were Pissants

408 replies · 2,118 views
about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
What is the travelling squad?

Oi Oi Edgecumbe... lets have a clean sheet

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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
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...

Yellow Whever Whanganui

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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

"I think you've got to be a little bit cautious."  - Ricki Herbert 28/11/2011

Fuck this stupid game

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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
What is the travelling squad?
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.
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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
paullt wrote:
Skinny B wrote:
Dougie Rydal wrote:
UK Kiwi wrote:
UK Kiwi wrote:
playwithFire wrote:
Id play same team, Lochhead on bench for Giffiths or downey. Manny was a beast at LB. If Sanchez, Daniel & Smith dont all start, Ricki really doesnt know what he's doing.

 

Don`t think Smith will even get on the plane 


Picked it like a dirty nose mate, Smith left at home, madness Ricki, madness,

He's been close to our best recently, why not give TB a rest, lord knows he looks like he needs one

'You don't know what you're doing!'
 
After Smith playing as well as he has done and then being left out of the squad for Adelaide read between the lines of him leaving when hix contract expires.
 
Smith being left out?  seriously was a big supporter of Ricki Herbert  but wonder if he really does'nt know what he's doing
 
Surprised no one has made the asumption that he could be injured
 
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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
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.

Queenslander 3x a year.

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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
that because he probably isn't

Oi Oi Edgecumbe... lets have a clean sheet

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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
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...
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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago


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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
i can not express how sh*t this decision is.

I can now advocate the sack Ricki calls.


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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
playwithFire wrote:
i can not express how sh*t this decision is.

I can now advocate the sack Ricki calls.
Easy pal, 9 points from 12...

Fuck this stupid game

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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago


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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
TopLeft07 wrote:
playwithFire wrote:
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


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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
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?
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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
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)

Ramming liberal dribble down your throat since 2009
This forum needs less angst and more Kate Bush threads



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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
playwithFire wrote:
TopLeft07 wrote:
playwithFire wrote:
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
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.
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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
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.

Founder

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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
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.


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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Terrible call!

Allegedly

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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
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?
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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
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


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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
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.

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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
ForteanTimes wrote:
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.[/QUOTE]

[quote=today's article on Stuff]


Herbert admitted it was a "tough" call for Smith but he wanted to play his first-choice back four and employ the hard-nosed Lia against a last-placed Adelaide side he expects to be scrapping for everything in their first home game under new coach John Kosmina.

"The midfield I think will be extremely competitive, and � not that Alex can't be, I think he's top drawer � but Vinnie gives us good bite in there," Herbert said.

"I think you've got to be a little bit cautious."


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

Ramming liberal dribble down your throat since 2009
This forum needs less angst and more Kate Bush threads



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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
And then there's Tim brown the friendly ghost in the midfield...Tegal2011-12-29 13:04:14

Allegedly

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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
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.

Ramming liberal dribble down your throat since 2009
This forum needs less angst and more Kate Bush threads



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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
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

Allegedly

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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
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


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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
The answer is clearly that Brown has pictures of Herbert with a donkey.

Ramming liberal dribble down your throat since 2009
This forum needs less angst and more Kate Bush threads



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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
I'm horrified that Smith has been left out on the game at Adelaide. He has been superb.
 
In fact I'm more than horrified, I'M BLOODY ANGRY.
 
Brown has been poor for weeks, he should have been left behing to give his a wake up call.
 
I vote that we pay Smith to stay with us, he too talented to omit or let go elsewhere.
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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
I'll join the chorus of the very disappointed at Smith being dropped so Lia and Brown can play DM together.
The games we have played decent football this season (e.g. quick passing, on the ground and through the middle) is when one or both have been missing and Herbert has been forced in to a more attacking midfield line-up.
 
I had hoped Herbert may have noticed that as well.
 
He really can't help himself and reverts to type when he has a full squad to pick from and particularly when we are on the road. Sometimes (often actually) he picks teams just the way you would expect an ex centre back to pick - fill the midfield with "muscle" and to hell with playing football.
 
P.S. I really rate Brown as a club man, I rate him far less as a player. But, even given my low expectations, he has been poor this season and should have been dropped weeks ago.
 
 
  Whitby boy2011-12-29 13:28:45
He dribbles a lot and the opposition dont like it - you can see it all over their faces. (Ron Atkinson)
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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
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.

Allegedly

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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
I`m amused by this lynch mob mentality
 
We have seen Smith play a couple of ok games
 
But we don`t know how he performs at training and gels with the team off the pitch. All important.
 
If there were  problems in that area Ricki would take them into account but not air them in puplic 
"you have to be cautious"  
 
Why was Smith`s contract only extended until the middle of Jan when it could have been extended for the complete season??
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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
UK Kiwi wrote:
I`m amused by this lynch mob mentality
 
We have seen Smith play a couple of ok games
 
But we don`t know how he performs at training (1) and gels with the team off the pitch. All important.
 
If there were  problems in that area Ricki would take them into account but not air them in puplic 
"you have to be cautious"  
 
Why was Smith`s contract only extended until the middle of Jan (2) when it could have been extended for the complete season??
 
(1) I know which matters more to me.
 
(2) Presumably because we may need his import spot for the ever elusive striker.
He dribbles a lot and the opposition dont like it - you can see it all over their faces. (Ron Atkinson)
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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Whitby boy wrote:
Herbert has been forced in to a more attacking midfield line-up.


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

Ramming liberal dribble down your throat since 2009
This forum needs less angst and more Kate Bush threads



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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
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.
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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
UK Kiwi wrote:
I`m amused by this lynch mob mentality
 
We have seen Smith play a couple of ok games
 
 My (and I'd say quite a few others') mentality isn't lynch mob at all, it's one from being at every home game since day 1 and seeing RH do what he does since that time, often quite poorly.
 
I've watched Smith for more than a 'couple of OK games'. I rated him from the first time I saw him because I could see what he was trying to do, it was just some of the players around him weren't on the same page. Now he knows them / they know him better he has shown his worth.
 
He uses the ball well, improves our transition from defence to attack, and is quick and can tackle. Compare that to Mr Brown's current form. Chalk and cheese. What is lynch mob about that?
 
Why change a winning team, why pick players off form, and why drop players on form? Buggeured if I know. It's frustrating, annoying and will ultimately prove disapointing.
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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Smith was the best player on the park last weekend. Unbelievable call.

Sack Brown.
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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
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.
You know we belong together...

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about 14 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
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.
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