I couldn't watch the game last night but I knew the result before I got home and jumped on to read the forum and get a feel for a few things. With this in mind, and also notepad, I watched the game on mysky and could pause to make notes.
Basically the back 6 have become very dysfunctional. Forget the attack, the goals for a moment. The back 6 is dysfunctional. Leo was not sharp last night and got exposed with his positioning. On ADPs 3rd, why not force him outside onto his left foot, his weaker one rather than across goal to give him a full view and easier angle? Sigmund is woefully out of form. People said 'well he scored'. And???? How many has he been responsible for conceding - his primary role? He got caught ball watching on the first 1st goal and Griffiths was gone to goal side in 2 steps. He then gets up and rags on the guys up field... what? Also leaves the line far too often and causes us to lose shape (which everyone is guilty of). Durante was pants last night. I have been an avid supporter but I could not defend him. Was ADP his assignment cause on the the 1st ADP goal, he was marking thin air and Sigmund had to come across. How the hell does a ball bounce through the box and get to the far side for a mirror image of the the Victory goal (Culina's). Lochhead got left for dead a few times. The 2 in front of that, Lia and Smith.... Did Smith actually play? I know Lia was there because he had to conceded a yellow (as did Brockie for the same reason) because we did not transition back from corners and got caught out 4 times (Culinas goal and both Brockie and Lias cards along with 1 other that we scrambled). We played with concrete boots and a severe lack of communication in talking to each other. Our transition from attack to defend was pedestrian and Farina must have picked up on that because the clearances got moved extremely quickly up field. That is poor coaching on the part of Ricki. He still has not fixed the issue of Sigmund leaving the line so is he just coaching attacking 'total football' only at training?
The reason why we have become so soft is because of a back 6 that are dysfunctional and don't play as a unit, for each other, for the team. Is there a solution? Boxall and Hogg for a start. Are they going to be better? Most likely not. Are they likely to be playing with a crisis of confidence in their own performance either? Bertos has had 1 poor game so he keeps his spot and Durante is the captain and in marginally better form than Sigmund. At the very least, while the replacements may not be better, it says to the incumbents 'YOU HAVE TO BE BETTER AND START FUCKING PERFORMING IF YOU WANT TO PLAY AGAIN'. To not make a change means Ricki endorses the status quo. They said it hurt after the WSW game and they have done some hard work and soul searching. Thats not changing whats happening on the field. Personnel changed need to be made, even for players that may not perform better than the current lot. If only to put people on notice that you cannot consistently deliver this performance. The Black Caps do that and continue to do that because no player plays in fear of their position.
I think there are 4 parts to a game. you get lose possession and you 1: track back and 2: defend. I've covered that shambles up above. You then regain possession and 3: build an attack and 4: finish.
When we had time on the ball last night, our attacking build was actually not that bad. In some respects, the total football thing they are trying to achieve is there a little and I didn't mind us going forward. Its been mentioned a few times that our wide men need to tuck in a bit (on defense I agree) but its obvious they have been given instructions to hug the touch lines in possession because when we moved the ball across the pitch from left to right, Bertos found acres of space because he lived out there in that space. We got numerous chances and it took a workman CB to actually finish one. Stein is our best but it he is playing too high up the field and does not have the pace for a foot race. He has lovely touches and can bring others into the game nicely, but he sits too high to do so. Sanchez appeared in patches, I know Brockie got a yellow and not much else which brings me to Boyd. I did read last night that he was thought to have played well and I have to ask having watched the game: 'What did he do?' Yeah he ran around lots but was that it? How many fouls did he give away, how many of those were against Fabio? 60th min, ball falls to him, he is on an angle, open look at goal, a touch maybe and a left foot strike. NO he drags it back onto his right (cause he does not have a left) and now the open path to the goal is gone. This kid needs a lot of coaching in jockeying a man, getting his head up, choosing the right options and kicking a ball with his left foot. Fenton is much the same (although has a left foot) but I think Fenton is better and next week, I want to see Fenton for Boyd. Does this mean Boyd played badly? No, I just don't see how he got kudos for a performance where he did nothing that was of any significance other than run around. We did get shots on goal, and they were just poorly executed (a return to last year). Ifill came on and showed he still has touches but for how long and how much is the magic question.
This is our season lads. Its not getting any better. Players are woefully out of form across the park and playing very dysfunctionally. Whats the solution? Well you tell me how long a piece of random string is (twice the distance from the middle to the end) and I'll tell you how to fix the Phoenix. At the very least next week, rightly or wrongly, Sigmund and Lochhead need a rest for Boxall and Hogg, Lia will swap for Manny, Smith should change for Ifill and Boyd for Fenton and play a standard 4-4-2. Why? Because the ones that are there need a wake up call. It may be worse next week but players need to learn that accountability for performance costs you your position.I do feel sorry for one person and thats Paston because no one in front
of him played for him last night and it was like his back 4 were pissed
off at him. I endorse a change of his position too but not because he is
playing poorly. Perhaps just a change of voice behind the back 4 may
work. Could there be a difference in organisation? I don't know. Moss is
a quality keeper too but a different voice may make a difference. It is actually endorsing change for the sake of change which I never do but at some point, something has to give.
Speaking of difference voices, how long until Ricki calls up BT...